An official website of the United States government
On This Page:
- Background
- Measure
- Healthy People 2030 Target
- Data Source
- Trends and Most Recent Estimates
- Additional Information
In 2021, the rate of new cases of all cancers combined was 461.4 per 100,000 people per year.
Background
Cancer incidence is typically measured as the number of new cases each year for every 100,000 people (for sex-specific cancers, people of the same sex serve as the denominator) and age-adjusted to a standard population to allow comparisons over time.
In 2024, nearly half of all new cancer cases are expected to be cancers of the prostate, breast, lung, and colon and rectum. According to American Cancer Society projections, about 2,001,140 new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2024, including 299,010 cases of prostate cancer, 313,510 cases of breast cancer, 234,580 cases of lung and bronchus cancer, and 152,810 cases of colorectal cancer.
Measure
Incidence rate: the observed number of new cancer cases per 100,000 people per year, adjusted for age and cancer case reporting delays and based on data from approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population.
Delay adjustment: a method of estimating delayed reporting of incident cases and then adjusting rates to account for this delay.
Trend lines: calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software.
The 2020 incidence rate is displayed but not used in the fit of the trends line(s). Impact of COVID on SEER Incidence 2020 data.
Data Source
SEER Program, National Cancer Institute, 1975–2021.
Healthy People 2030 Target
There are no Healthy People 2030 targets for cancer incidence.
Healthy People 2030 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trends and Most Recent Estimates
- All Cancer Sites Combined
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- By Sex
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Rates of new cases of all cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by sex, 1975-2021 Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2021) Rate per 100,000 95% Confidence Interval 
Both Sexes 
461.4 459.0 - 463.9 Male
492.8 489.2 - 496.4 Female
443.2 439.9 - 446.5 - By Race/Ethnicity
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Rates of new cases of all cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 2000-2021 Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2021) Rate per 100,000 95% Confidence Interval 
All Races
458.3 457.3 - 459.3 Non-Hispanic White
467.5 466.3 - 468.6 Non-Hispanic Black
461.7 458.6 - 464.7 Hispanic
372.8 370.5 - 375.0 Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander
329.7 326.8 - 332.5 Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native
477.9 459.1 - 497.2
- Top 4 Cancer Sites
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- Comparison of Top Cancer Sites
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Rates of new cases of the most common cancers, delay-adjusted cancer incidence, 1975-2021 Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2021) Rate per 100,000 95% Confidence Interval 
Colon and Rectum
35.8 35.2 - 36.5 Lung and Bronchus
43.7 43.0 - 44.4 Female Breast
144.6 142.7 - 146.5 Prostate
131.4 129.6 - 133.3 - Colon and Rectum Cancer by Sex
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Rates of new cases of colon and rectum cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by sex, 1975-2021 Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2021) Rate per 100,000 95% Confidence Interval 
Both Sexes
35.8 35.2 - 36.5 Male
39.9 38.9 - 41.0 Female
32.2 31.3 - 33.1 - Colon and Rectum Cancer by Race/Ethnicity
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Rates of new cases of colon and rectum cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 2000-2021 Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2021) Rate per 100,000 95% Confidence Interval 
All Races
37.5 37.2 - 37.8 Non-Hispanic White
37.1 36.8 - 37.4 Non-Hispanic Black
41.9 41.0 - 42.8 Hispanic
35.3 34.6 - 36.0 Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander
31.3 30.4 - 32.2 Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native
58.6 52.1 - 65.6 - Lung and Bronchus Cancer by Sex
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Rates of new cases of lung and bronchus cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by sex, 1975-2021 Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2021) Rate per 100,000 95% Confidence Interval 
Both Sexes
43.7 43.0 - 44.4 Male
46.7 45.6 - 47.8 Female
41.6 40.6 - 42.6 - Lung and Bronchus Cancer by Race/Ethnicity
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Rates of new cases of lung and bronchus cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 2000-2021 Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2021) Rate per 100,000 95% Confidence Interval 
All Races
46.9 46.6 - 47.3 Non-Hispanic White
48.1 47.8 - 48.5 Non-Hispanic Black
48.6 47.6 - 49.6 Hispanic
25.5 24.9 - 26.2 Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander
33.5 32.6 - 34.4 Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native
57.5 51.1 - 64.3 - Female Breast Cancer by Race/Ethnicity
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Rates of new cases of female breast cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 2000-2021 Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2021) Rate per 100,000 95% Confidence Interval 
All Races
137.4 136.6 - 138.2 Non-Hispanic White
138.7 137.8 - 139.6 Non-Hispanic Black
131.1 128.9 - 133.3 Hispanic
111.1 109.5 - 112.7 Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander
125.5 123.1 - 127.9 Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native
131.0 117.8 - 145.2 - Prostate Cancer by Race/Ethnicity
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Rates of new cases of prostate cancer, delay-adjusted cancer incidence by race/ethnicity, 2000-2021 Overview Graph Detailed Trend Graphs Most Recent Estimates (2021) Rate per 100,000 95% Confidence Interval 
All Races
128.0 127.2 - 128.7 Non-Hispanic White
121.1 120.3 - 122.0 Non-Hispanic Black
209.8 206.6 - 213.0 Hispanic
96.3 94.5 - 98.1 Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander
71.3 69.3 - 73.3 Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native
101.5 88.5 - 115.8
- Recent Trends for Common Cancer Sites
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2017-2021 trends (Average Annual Percent Change) in delay-adjusted cancer incidence rates for common cancer sites Overview graph Cancer Site Average Annual Percent Change 
All Sites 0.2 Brain and ONS -1.4* Cervix Uteri -0.7 Colon and Rectum -0.8* Corpus Uteri and NOS 1.3* Esophageal Adenocarcinoma 0.7* Esophageal Squamous Cell -1.3* Female Breast 1.4* Hodgkin Lymphoma -1.0* Kidney and Renal Pelvis 0.9* Larynx -2.7* Leukemia 0.3 Liver and IBD 0.1 Lung and Bronchus -2.9* Melanoma of the Skin 1.1* Myeloma 1.1* Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma -0.4* Oral Cavity and Pharynx 0.8* Ovary -1.5* Pancreas 0.9* Prostate 3.3* Stomach 2.0* Testis 0.7* Thyroid -1.9* Urinary Bladder -1.1* * The Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) is statistically significant.
Additional Information
- Cancer Incidence Rates. National Cancer Institute.
- Common Cancer Types. National Cancer Institute.
- Learn About Cancer. American Cancer Society.
- Resources for Health Professionals. National Cancer Institute.
- Cancer Facts and Figures. American Cancer Society.
- Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. National Cancer Institute.
- Lung cancer incidence trends among men and women – United States, 2005–2009. Henley SJ, Richareds TB, Underwood JM, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2014;63(01):1–5.
- Invasive Cancer Incidence and Survival—United States, 2013. Henley SJ, Singh SD, King JK et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017:66(3):69-75.
- Cancer Statistics, 2018. Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal, A. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2018;61(01):7-30.
- SEER Cancer Statistics Review, National Cancer Institute.
- State Cancer Profiles. National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- United States Cancer Statistics: Data Visualizations. National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- United States Cancer Statistics – Interpreting Incidence Data. National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- SEER*Explorer: An interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. National Cancer Institute.
- WONDER Online Databases – United States Cancer Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Year Range
1975-2021
Recent Summary Trend Year Range
2017-2021
Recent Summary Trend
Rising
Desired Direction
Falling
Summary Tables
Diagnosis