AS GENERAL LIFE EXPECTANCY INCREASES, more people are being diagnosed with cancer, which is typically a disease of old age. But thanks to screening and treatment advances, the number of cancer survivors living in the U.S. is higher today than it has ever been.
In a study published July 13, 2024, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers used national population and cancer data to estimate how many Americans are cancer survivors. They found that, as of Jan. 1, 2022, the nation had approximately 18.1 million cancer survivors—about four times the number in 1975. The study found 70% of cancer survivors had lived five or more years after being diagnosed, nearly half had lived a decade or longer, and 11% had lived 25 years or more. Researchers project this population will continue to grow in the coming decades.
Survivors often experience long-term side effects from cancer and its treatment, so as people with a cancer history live longer, survivorship care is becoming increasingly important. However, the study authors warned there currently are not enough resources devoted to survivors and called for more support for this growing population.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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