Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2022.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Cancer Epidemiology
• Health Disparities

Background:

• The number of cancer survivors is increasing in the U.S. due to population growth, aging, and advances in cancer detection and treatment.
• Effective public health strategies require accurate estimates of cancer prevalence and an understanding of survivor demographics and treatment patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the number of cancer survivors in the United States as of January 1, 2022.
• To describe the demographic characteristics, prevalent cancer types, and treatment patterns among cancer survivors.
• To identify and highlight racial disparities in cancer treatment receipt.

Main Methods:

• Utilized incidence and survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registries.
• Incorporated vital statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
• Employed population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau and treatment data from the National Cancer Database.

Main Results:

• As of January 1, 2022, over 18 million Americans were cancer survivors, with the most prevalent cancers being prostate, melanoma of the skin, colon and rectum (males), and breast, uterine corpus, and thyroid (females).
• The majority of survivors (53%) were diagnosed within the past 10 years, and two-thirds (67%) were aged 65 years or older.
• Significant racial disparities were observed in treatment receipt, particularly for rectal and non-small cell lung cancers, with Black patients receiving less surgical treatment compared to White patients. Black patients were also less likely to be diagnosed with early-stage disease.

Conclusions:

• Cancer survivorship is a growing public health concern, with over 18 million individuals in the U.S. living with a history of cancer.
• Racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment persist, necessitating targeted interventions to ensure equitable care.
• Further evidence-based strategies and accessible resources are crucial to mitigate disparities and optimize care for all cancer survivors, especially for communities of color.