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Cancer Facts and Statistics

What follows are some basic facts and statistics about cancer within the United States over the past few years.These stats are taken directly from the American Cancer Society’s 2023 statistics publication.

Over 18 million Americans with a history of invasive cancer were alive on January 1, 2022, most of whom were diagnosed many years prior and have no current evidence of the disease.

How Much Progress Has Been Made Against Cancer?

Substantial progress has been made against cancer in recent decades. The best measure of this progress is the decrease in cancer death rates (also referred to as mortality rates).The overall age-adjusted cancer death rate rose the most in the 20th century, peaking in 1991 at 215.1 cancer deaths per 100,000 people.This is mainly due to the smoking epidemic. As of 2020, the rate had dropped to 143.8 per 100,000 – a decline of 33% – mostly due to the reductions in smoking and advances within treatment, as well as early detection for certain cancers. The decline in the death rate translates into 3.8 million fewer cancer deaths between the years of 1991 and 2020.This is mainly from the progress against the four most common cancer types – lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate.

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Who Is at Risk of Developing Cancer?

Everyone is at risk of developing cancer, although the risk increases drastically with age; 88% of people diagnosed with cancer in the US are 50 years of age or older and 57% are 65 year of age or older. Risk is also increased by certain behaviors and other modifiable factors, such as smoking, excess body weight, drinking alcohol, and eating an unhealthy diet. In the US, an estimated 41 out of 100 men and 39 out of 100 women will develop cancer during their lifetime. However, these probabilities are based on cancer occurrence in the general population and they may differ in individuals because of variations in exposures (e.g., smoking), family history, and/or genetic susceptibility.

What Percentage of People Survive Cancer?

Cancer survival is typically described in terms of relative survival, which is a measure of life expectancy among cancer patients, compared to that among the general population of the same age, race, and sex. The 5-year survival rate for all cancers combined has increased substantially since the early 1960s. The survival rate has gone from 39% to 69% among White people, and from 27% to 64% among Black people. Improvements in survival rates reflect advances in treatment, as well as earlier diagnosis for certain cancers. Survival varies greatly by cancer type and stage, as well as age at diagnosis. Breast Statistics on Specific Types of Cancer:

Breast cancer

New cases and deaths: In 2023, invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in an estimated 297,790. women and 2,800 men, with an additional 55,720 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) diagnosed in women. An estimated 43,700 breast cancer deaths (43,170 in women, 530 in men) will occur in 2023.

Invasive female breast cancer incidence rates have been increasing by about 0.5% per year since the mid-2000s, likely due at least in part to the increased prevalence of excess body weight and reproductive trends (decreasing fertility rate and increasing age at first birth).

The breast cancer death rate among females peaked in 1989, and has since declined by 43% as of 2020.This is a result of earlier detection through screening mammography, as well as increased breast cancer awareness and improved treatment. This decrease translates to approximately 460,000 fewer breast cancer deaths during this time period.

Oral Cavity and Pharynx

New cases and deaths: In 2023, an estimated 54,540 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity (mouth) and pharynx (throat) will be diagnosed in the US, and 11,580 people will die from the disease. Oral cavity and pharynx rates are more than twice as high in men as in women.

The distribution of oral cavity cancers has changed over time. The proportion of cases occurring on the tongue or tonsils doubled from 1 in 4 during the late 1970s to 1 in 2 from 2015-2019.

Mortality trends: The mortality rate for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx has increased by 0.4% per year from 2009 through 2020,after decades of decline. This is due to an increase in oropharyngeal cancer mortality of almost 2% per year during that time period.

Colon Cancer

New cases and deaths: In 2023, an estimated 106,970 cases of colon cancer and 46,050 cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in the US, a total of 52,550 people will die from these cancers. Colorectal cancer rates have generally declined since the mid-1980s, with the pace accelerating to 3%-4% annually during the 2000s due to widespread screening uptake among adults ages 50 and older.

Mortality trends: Colorectal cancer mortality rates have dropped by 57%, from 29.2 per 100,000in 1970 to 12.6 in 2020.This is mostly due to earlier detection through screening and improvements in treatment; the death rate has declined steadily by about 2% per year from 2012 to 2020.

Skin

New cases and deaths: Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US. However, the actual numbers of the most common forms – basal cell and squamous cell (i.e., keratinocyte carcinoma or KC) – is unknown. This is because cases are not required to be reported to cancer registries. The most recent study of KC occurrence estimated that in 2012, 5.4 million cases were diagnosed among 3. 3 million people. Invasive melanoma accounts for about 1% of all skin cancer cases, but also accounts for the majority of skin cancer deaths. In 2023, an estimated 97,610 new cases of invasive and 89,070 cases of in situ melanoma will be diagnosed in the US, while 7,990 people will die from the disease.

Kidney and Renal Pelvis

New cases and deaths: In 2023, an estimated 81,800 new cases of kidney (renal) cancer will be diagnosed in the US, and 14,890 people will die from the disease. Men are twice as likely as women to be diagnosed with kidney cancer.

Mortality trends: In contrast, to incidence trends, kidney cancer mortality rates have continued to decline since the mid-1990s.

Leukemia

New cases and deaths: In 2023, an estimated 59,610 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the US, and 23,710 people will die from the disease. The most common types of leukemia among adults (20 years of age and older) are CLL (38%) and AML (31%) and among children and adolescents (ages 0 to 19 years) are ALL (75%) and AML (17%).

Mortality trends: In contrast to incidence, the leukemia death rate declined from 2011 to 2020 by about 2% per year in adults) and 3% per year in children and adolescents, again with some variation by subtype.

Liver

New cases and deaths: In 2023, an estimated 41,210 new cases of liver cancer will be diagnosed in the US, and 29,380 people will die from the disease. The most common types of liver cancer are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; 72%) and intrahepatic bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma; 19%). Liver cancer incidence is about 3 times higher in men than in women.

Mortality trends: Liver cancer is often fatal, so mortality patterns parallel incidence; the steep increase in death rates in recent decades has stabilized over the past five data years (2016-2020) in both men and women.

Lymphoma

New cases and deaths: In 2023, an estimated 89,380 new cases of lymphoma will be diagnosed in the US, and 21,080 people will die from the disease. Lymphomas are broadly grouped as Hodgkin lymphoma (8,830 cases and 900 deaths in 2023) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL, 80,550 cases and 20,180 deaths).

Mortality trends: The death rate has been declining since the 1975 for Hodgkin lymphoma and since 1997 for NHL due to reductions in incidence, advances in treatment, and improved survival for humans. Between 2011 to 2020, the death rate decreased by 4% per year for Hodgkin lymphoma and 2% per year for NHL.

Ovary

New cases and deaths: In 2023, an estimated 19,710 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the US, and 13,270 women will die from the disease. The ovarian cancer incidence rate declined by 1% to 2% per year from 1990 to the mid-2010s and by almost 3% per year between 2015 to 2019.

Mortality trends: Similar to incidence, the pace of the decline in ovarian cancer mortality has accelerated from 2% annually during the 2000s to early 2010s to more than 3% annually between 2016 to 2020, reflecting both decreased incidence and improved treatment.

Pancreas

New cases and deaths: In 2023, an estimated 64,050 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed in the US, and 50,550 people will die from the disease. The incidence rate for pancreatic cancer has increased by about 1% per year since the late 1990s in both men and women.

Mortality trends: The death rate for pancreatic cancer has increased slightly (by 0.2% per year) since the late 1990s in men but remained stable in women.

Prostate

New cases and deaths: In 2023, an estimated 288,300 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the US, and 34,700 men will die from the disease. The incidence of prostate cancer is more than 70% higher in Black men than in White men for reasons that remain unclear.

Mortality trends: The prostate cancer death rate declined by half from its peak in 1993 (39.3 per 100,000 men) to 2013 (19.3 per 100,000 men) due to earlier detection through PSA testing and advances in treatment. Since then, however, the pace of decline has slowed down.

Thyroid

New cases and deaths: In 2023, there will be an estimated 43,720 new cases of thyroid cancer diagnosed in the US, and 2,120 people will die from the disease. The incidence rate is about 3 times higher in women than in men and 70% higher in White people than in Black people, who have the lowest rate.

Mortality trends: The death rate for thyroid cancer was stable from 2011 to 2020 in both men and women.

Bladder

New cases and deaths: In 2023, an estimated 82,290 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the US, and 16,710 people will die from the disease. The incidence rate is 4 times higher in men than in women and 2 times higher in White men than in Black, Hispanic, or Asian/Pacific Islander men.

Mortality trends: In contrast to incidence, bladder cancer mortality has trended downward since the 1970s, with an accelerated slope in recent years; between 2016 to 2020 the rate declined by over 2% per year.

Lung

New cases and deaths: Lung cancer incidence and mortality trends closely mirror the tobacco epidemic with a lag of several decades. As a result, lung cancer patterns differ by sex because women started smoking in large numbers later than men and were also much slower to quit.

Mortality trends: Lung cancer mortality rates rose from 3 to 4 per 100,000 in 1930, peaked at 91 per 100,000 men in 1990 and 42 per 100,000 women in 2002 before declining by 58% (38 per 100,000) and 36% (27 per 100,000), respectively, through 2020.

Our Mission

We are a multidisciplinary team of surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, reconstructive surgeons, and clinical trial investigators. Together, we deliver cutting-edge, safe, well-coordinated, and supportive care to people with cancer and their families.

We strive to provide access to cutting-edge clinical trials in cancer care. This means providing access to innovative therapies in the community where you live. We feel strongly that state-of-the-art medicine should be easily accessable beyond academic centers.

We always maintain an individualized touch, we will never treat you as just another number or just another patient.

What We Do

We have expertise in the use of leading-edge hormonal, targeted, oral chemotherapies and immunotherapies. We works in close collaboration with Surgical Oncologists, Thoracic Surgeons, Colorectal Surgeons, Radiation Oncologists and Gynecological Oncologists in the specialized care of cancer patients.

Our clinical practice encompasses various tumor types including (but not limited to):

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Breast

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Bladder

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Lung

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Colorectal

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Gastric

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Kidney

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Livers

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Esophageal

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Pancreatic

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Prostate

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Testicular

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Head and Neck

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Genitourinary

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Gynecological Malignancies

Gynecological Malignancies

Our patients gain access to trial treatments sponsored by leading medical institutions in Houston and throughout the nation. Our team works hard to connect you with the best possible trial while providing comprehensive care during your treatment.

We identify the best treatments available in oncology with evidence-based alternative treatments for symptom control. In addition, we have in-depth training in Geriatrics. This allows us to offer tailored cancer care to our elderly patients. This frequently means balancing the benefits of chemotherapy while minimizing side effects in older and more vulnerable patients.

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The Expertise You Need, The Compassion You Deserve

With years of experience working in cancer research and treatment, we bring extensive knowledge and expertise to each and every patient. Our passion for helping patients find the right clinical trial while providing the care they need is unparalleled.

Our team is dedicated to making sure you have access to the best possible cancer treatment options.

Start Your Journey to Healing Today

If you or someone you love is struggling with cancer, contact Community Clinical Trials at our Houston office to learn more about the clinical trials that could help. Our team is committed to giving you access to the best possible care and providing personalized support throughout your journey.

Whether you need a second opinion about a diagnosis or want to learn how to participate in a cancer prevention or clinical trial, our experienced team is here for you.