Cancer Statistics
Cancer is a group of over 100 diseases in which abnormal cells in a tissue or organ of the body proliferate to form tumors. The tumors can grow and spread to other parts of the body, and if this is not controlled, can lead to death.
The American Cancer Society estimated that 1.6 million new cases of cancer would occur in 2011. The most frequent type of cancer to be diagnosed in men in the United States is prostate cancer, followed by cancer of the lung and bronchus. Among women, breast cancer has the highest incidence, followed also by cancer of the lung and bronchus. The lifetime probability of being diagnosed with an invasive cancer is 44% for men and 38% for women.
Today, one in four deaths in the United States is due to cancer. Approximately 580,000 deaths from cancer were projected to occur in 2011, which is over 1,500 people every day. Cancers of the lung and bronchus, colorectum and prostate or breast are the more frequent causes of cancer death among men and women, accounting for almost half of all cancer deaths.
The five-year survival rate of people diagnosed with cancer has increased due to earlier detection and diagnoses of some cancers and improved treatments for patients. However, a substantial need for new and better therapies against cancer remains.
Cancer Statistics
Cancer Facts & Figures, 2011. American Cancer Society.
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