By 2035, the number of cancer survivors living in the U.S. is expected to exceed 22 million, according to a study published May 30 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute analyzed data from the NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program, the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Cancer Database to calculate the current number of cancer survivors and estimate the prevalence of cancer survivors in the U.S. over the next decade.
Here are five notes on their findings:
- The number of male cancer survivors across all sites is estimated to increase from 8,417,150 in 2025 to 9,982,670 in 2035.
| Site (Male survivors) | 2025 | 2035 |
| Prostate | 3,552,460 | 4,247,480 |
| Melanoma of the skin | 816,580 | 1,013,230 |
| Colon and rectum | 729,550 | 869,560 |
| Urinary bladder | 593,890 | 750,620 |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | 464,100 | 568,730 |
| Kidney and renal pelvis | 450,440 | 593,830 |
| Oral cavity and pharynx | 327,430 | 417,880 |
| Testis | 317,930 | 366,300 |
| Leukemia | 315,780 | 393,170 |
| Lung and Bronchus | 288,010 | 364,980 |
| All sites | 8,417,150 | 9,982,670 |
- The number of female cancer survivors across all sites is estimated to increase from 10,199,840 in 2025 to 12,372,370 in 2035.
| Site (Female survivors) | 2025 | 2035 |
| Breast | 4,305,570 | 5,302,700 |
| Uterine Corpus | 945,540 | 1,182,660 |
| Thyroid | 859,890 | 1,104,840 |
| Melanoma of the skin | 783,350 | 974,330 |
| Colon and rectum | 714,380 | 851,440 |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | 415,180 | 522,060 |
| Lung and bronchus | 392,440 | 506,600 |
| Uterine cervix | 286,560 | 286,830 |
| Kidney and renal pelvis | 284,090 | 376,660 |
| Ovary | 244,600 | 268,410 |
| All sites | 10,199,840 | 12,372,370 |
- As of January 1, the majority (32%) of cancer survivors in the U.S. are between the ages of 70 and 79.
| Survivor age | Overall | Male | Female |
| 0-14 years | <1% | <1% | <1% |
| 15-19 years | <1% | <1% | <1% |
| 20-29 years | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| 30-39 years | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| 40-49 years | 5% | 4% | 6% |
| 50-59 years | 12% | 10% | 14% |
| 60-69 years | 26% | 25% | 26% |
| 70-79 years | 32% | 35% | 26% |
| 80+ years | 21% | 22% | 21% |
- As of January 1, the majority (30%) of cancer survivors in the U.S. were diagnosed with cancer within the last five years.
| Years since diagnosis | Overall | Male | Female |
| 0 to <5 | 30% | 32% | 28% |
| 5 to <10 | 21% | 21% | 20% |
| 10 to <15 | 16% | 16% | 16% |
| 15 to <20 | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| 20 to <25 | 8% | 7% | 8% |
| 25 to <30 | 5% | 4% | 6% |
| 30+ | 9% | 8% | 10% |
- “Targeted, multi-level efforts to expand access to high-quality care and survivorship resources are vital to reducing disparities and advancing support for all survivors of cancer,” the study authors wrote.
Read the full study here.
