Deaths by cancer in the U.S. 1950-2019
Cancer was responsible for around 146 deaths per 100,000 population in the United States in 2019. The death rate for cancer has steadily decreased since the 1990’s, but cancer still remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. The deadliest type of cancer for both men and women is cancer of the lung and bronchus which will account for an estimated 68,820 deaths among men alone in 2022.
Probability of surviving
Survival rates for cancer vary significantly depending on the type of cancer. The cancers with the highest rates of survival include cancers of the prostate, thyroid and testis, with five-year survival rates as high as 98 percent for prostate cancer. The cancers with the lowest five-year survival rates include cancers of the pancreas, liver, and esophageal.
Risk factors
It is difficult to determine why one person develops cancer while another does not, but certain risk factors have been shown to increase a person’s chance of developing cancer. For example, cigarette smoking has been proven to increase the risk of developing a variety of cancers. In fact, around 81 percent of cancers of the lung, bronchus and trachea among adults aged 30 years and older can be attributed to cigarette smoking. A recent poll showed that many U.S. adults believed smoking cigarettes and using other tobacco products increased a person’s risk of developing cancer, but a much smaller percentage believed the same for proven risk factors such as obesity and drinking alcohol.
Probability of surviving
Survival rates for cancer vary significantly depending on the type of cancer. The cancers with the highest rates of survival include cancers of the prostate, thyroid and testis, with five-year survival rates as high as 98 percent for prostate cancer. The cancers with the lowest five-year survival rates include cancers of the pancreas, liver, and esophageal.
Risk factors
It is difficult to determine why one person develops cancer while another does not, but certain risk factors have been shown to increase a person’s chance of developing cancer. For example, cigarette smoking has been proven to increase the risk of developing a variety of cancers. In fact, around 81 percent of cancers of the lung, bronchus and trachea among adults aged 30 years and older can be attributed to cigarette smoking. A recent poll showed that many U.S. adults believed smoking cigarettes and using other tobacco products increased a person’s risk of developing cancer, but a much smaller percentage believed the same for proven risk factors such as obesity and drinking alcohol.
