Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2019

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• The population of cancer survivors in the United States is steadily increasing due to improved treatments and an aging demographic.
• This growing population presents unique challenges and necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their health needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the current and future prevalence of cancer survivors in the United States.
• To identify the most common cancer types and describe current treatment patterns.
• To outline the health effects associated with cancer and its treatment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registries for incidence and survival.
• Incorporated vital statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCDHHS).
• Employed population projections from the US Census Bureau and treatment data from the National Cancer Data Base.

Main Results:

• As of January 1, 2019, over 16.9 million Americans were cancer survivors, a number projected to surpass 22.1 million by 2030.
• The most prevalent cancers in 2019 were prostate, colon and rectum, and melanoma of the skin in males; and breast, uterine corpus, and colon and rectum in females.
• A significant majority of survivors (56%) were diagnosed within the last decade, and 64% are 65 years or older.

Conclusions:

• The increasing number of cancer survivors underscores the critical need for specialized follow-up care addressing their medical and psychosocial needs.
• While resources exist, there is a continued need for evidence-based tools to optimize cancer survivorship care.
• Public health initiatives must adapt to support the growing population of individuals living beyond a cancer diagnosis.