Prevalence of cancer survivors in the United States as of January 1,2022

With aging of the population and improvements in diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care, the number of cancer survivors in the United States has increased. Updated prevalence estimates are needed. A study by the National Cancer Institute (Rockville, MD) found that there were an estimated 18.1 million US cancer survivors as of January 1, 2022. From 2022 to 2030, the number of US cancer survivors is projected to increase to 21.6 million; by 2040, the number is projected to be 26 million. Long-term survivors are highly prevalent; in 2022, 70% of survivors survived 5 years or more after diagnosis, and 11% of survivors survived 25 years or more after diagnosis. Among US females and males aged 40-54, 3.6% and 2.1%, respectively, were cancer survivors. Among US females and males aged 85% and older, 36.4% and 48.3%, respectively, were cancer survivors. The authors conclude that cancer survivors are growing in number. In the US, most cancer survivors are long-term survivors, representing a significant proportion of the US population.