How would you feel about AI predicting whether you’re susceptible to cancer in the future?
At MIT and Mass General Cancer Center, a team tested an AI tool named Sybil to see if it could detect cancer early to help doctors treat the illness earlier. Sybil looked at a CT scan and, based on the analysis, told whether or not the patient was likely to suffer from lung cancer in six years.
New trends for detecting cancer are being developed, and AI is one of them. Although these AI-assisted cancer diagnostics are currently being used to complement traditional methods, they are not yet a standard practice.
In this article, we’ve researched the top cancer statistics you should know and added advice from medical doctors to better understand what these statistics mean for the future.
Latest Cancer Survival Statistics
- By 2040, the number of new cancer cases per year is estimated to increase to 29. 4
- In 2040, the number of deaths due to cancer will increase to 15. 3 million. 4
- A third of human beings are diagnosed with cancer, and men have an 11% risk of cancer death and women 8%. 7
- In 2024, 14,910 children and adolescents ages 0 to 19 will be diagnosed with cancer, and 1,590 will die of the illness.
- The four most common cancers in the world include female breast, lung, bowel, and prostate cancers. 9
Why Cancer Prevalence Rates Are Increasing
It is estimated that the annual cancer incidence will rise to 29 by 2040. 9 million, with 15. 3 million deaths globally. Some reasons could be population, an aging society, or lifestyle.
Today, cancer will kill about one in four people, and roughly one-third of the world's population will get cancer over their lifetimes.
The majority (61%) of the 76 countries included in a World Health Organization survey now have primary cancer care identified as part of their universal health benefits packages (HBP).
However, this still leaves most of the world's population without access to effective cancer treatment. In addition, only 28 countries of the participating states provide palliative care (relieving symptoms in patients, especially pain in terminally ill patients), so there is a big gap in support for terminal patients.
The most common breast, lung, colon, rectal, and prostate cancer accounts for more than 40% of all cancers worldwide.
These numbers indicate the importance of the work to prevent, detect, and treat this deadly disease. These are the voids that will need to be filled if we are going to turn back the tide of rising cancer incidence and mortality rates collectively.
“Women in lower HDI (HDI is a composite index of a country's average achievements in three aspects of human development: health, knowledge, and standard of living) countries are 50% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than women in high HDI countries, yet they are at a much higher risk of dying of the disease due to late diagnosis and inadequate access to quality treatment”
Cancer Survival Stats of the US
- The population of cancer survivors in the United States should surpass 26 million within the next two decades.1
- The number of people expected to survive five years or more after a cancer diagnosis will increase by about 53% by 2040, compared to 2022..1
- Today, over 3/4 of all cancer survivors are over 60 years of age in the United States.1
- Americans diagnosed with newly diagnosed metastatic cancers is expected to increase to 693,452 in 2025.1
- Breast cancer survivors currently account for an estimated 22% of all survivors, 4% of women in the United States, with approximately 4 million people.1
- The total figure of patients surviving prostate cancer is 10 percent or approximately 1.725 million, and the number of patients who constitute 20 percent of the total is approximately 3.5 million.1
- Of all cancer survivors in the United States, approximately 8% are melanoma survivors, with 1.5 million people constituting the group.1
- The corresponding numbers for colorectal cancer are 1.4 million people, and of those, 8% are cancer survivors.1
- The cumulative lifetime risks of developing any invasive cancer is 40.9% for men and 39.1% for women.1
- Cancer deaths in the U.S. are down 33% since 1991 – a combination of research, better treatment, and earlier diagnosis – but due to smoking rates as well.1
- All targeted delivery methods of antismoking programs have been successful, reducing lung cancer mortality from 90/1000 in 1990 to 38/1000 for men and from 6 /1000 in 2002 to 4 /1000 for women.1
The Effectiveness of Anti-Smoking Campaigns
A study of interest on the impact and cost-utility outcomes of the FDA's nationally televised anti-smoking public health campaign, The Real Cost, intended to prevent cigarette smoking among US youth by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM.)
The campaign, which launched in February 2014, targets youths aged 12 to 17 years who have never smoked but are flirting with the habit, as well as those who already have tried smoking.
Heavily promoted across TV, radio, online, and other DOC channels with messaging that revolves around the theme “Every cigarette costs you something.”
The campaign addressed the cosmetic side effects of smoking, addiction, and cigarette ingredients. The campaign had met the more specific objective of ad awareness amongst over 90% of the target consumers during the first three years. This subsequently led to an increase in the proportion agreeing with tobacco harm beliefs by 11.5% 14 months after implementation of the policy as compared to prior.
Research from 2017 showed that, among young people who perceived they saw a lot of the campaign, there was a 30% lower risk of starting to smoke. The campaign was estimated to prevent 348,398 U.S. youth from smoking.
To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this model, the study employed two primary metrics: cost per QALY saved and ROI. This is in line with other health interventions of 1 QALY (e.g. gaining ~5 years.) The campaign will be more cost effective if we assume that getting one less smoker to smoke results in lives saved for $24,000 each by eliminating smoking in a non-discounted way.
In contrast, the ROI analysis produced a dollar estimate of what would have been spent to deliver healthcare related to smoking without the campaign expenditure. Each cost-effectiveness analysis determined "The Real Cost" to provide significant public health benefits at a reasonable economic cost.
And that demonstrates the importance of anti-smoking campaigns, some of which obviously are quite successful in convincing people not to smoke.
Cancer Survival Stats of the UK
- The death rate of cancer in the UK has improved significantly over the past 50 years. 2
- Data obtained from January 2023 shows new cancer cases at 19,169, of which only 38% were classified as stage I or II when diagnosed. 2
- The proportion of cancers diagnosed in January 2023, where the stage was unknown, is increasing.2
- The NHS Long Term Plan is to ensure three-quarters of cancers are detected at stage 1 or 2 by 2028.2
- The quicker diagnosis criteria were met for 77 families by March 2024.2
- A total of 33% of patients were diagnosed with cancer or had cancer excluded within 28 days from referral.2
The NHS’s Future Plan for Cancer Diagnoses
By 2028, the NHS Long Term Plan hopes to diagnose three out of four cancers at stage 1 or 2. One of the top priorities is early cancer detection, and this document aims to help achieve this.
Another significant step the NHS took regarding the cancer battle was adopting the faster diagnosis standard in March 2024. Under this standard, at least 75% of patients receiving an urgent GP referral or screening should have a cancer diagnosis or exclusion made in 28 days.
Early cancer detection remains a problem that affects different social classes. Alamgir, H. Mahmood, and B. Azad reported a temporal decline in early diagnosis, indicating that new diagnosis rates from March to May 2020 were 52% for the least deprived areas, down from 58%.
It was noted that those living in the most deprived areas are worse affected by the diagnosis in the early stage, reducing from 53% to 41%.
Being two and five years behind the NHS target of 75% of early diagnosis by 2028, respectively, while the very deprived still lagged at 47%, it indicates the need for more efforts towards closing the gaps and enhancing the success rates of early diagnosis across all the provided groups for cancer patients.
“Despite more people being treated than before – and NHS staff working tirelessly – many people are waiting longer for tests and treatments than ever before across the UK.”
1 & 5 Year Cancer Survival Rate Statistics
- The 5-year survival rate for breast cancer is over 80%.3
- For lung cancer, the 5-year survival rate is less than 20%.3
- Between 2013 and 2019, about 22% of liver cancer patients in the United States survived for at least five years after their diagnosis. This figure reflects the 5-year relative survival rates for various cancer types in the U.S. during that period.3
What is a 1-year and 5-year survival rate?
The 5-year survival rate for any one type of cancer is the percentage of patients who are still alive five years after diagnosis. It differs depending upon the tumour type, stage of the disease at diagnosis, and country.
Concerning breast cancer, a survival rate above 80% means that more than 80% of patients have lived for at least five years since diagnosis. Generally speaking, the survival rate for breast cancer is higher, especially for early-stage diagnosis. Whereas in lung cancer, less than a 20% 5-year survival rate equates to less than 20% of patients living for five years. This generally points to the fact that lung cancers tend to be diagnosed in later stages and, therefore, have a generally poor survival rate.
In the United States, from 2013 to 2019, the five-year survival rate of liver cancer was 22%, which indicates that roughly 22% of the patients with liver cancer survived five years or more since diagnosis. Like lung cancer, liver cancer often also presents higher mortality rates because of its potential for being diagnosed at a later stage.
These may be radically lower in developing countries because the healthcare system can be under-resourced, leading to poor diagnostics and less effective treatment. Rates can be highly dependent on cancer type and the stage at which the diagnosis is made. Generally speaking, early-stage cancers have better survival rates than later-stage ones.
A five-year cancer survival story has been posted on Yale Medicine to show the times of cancer survivorship and strength amid a daunting diagnosis. Jayanti retired at 70 in December 2018 after working for 41 long years. She firmly believed in taking time off for leisure, including spending time with her family. She planned to travel more often. But only three months later, her life changed dramatically. After a standard mammogram, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer with a mere 20% chance of surviving to five years. The nature of cancer was assertive, and so the treatments for essentially treating the disease involved chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and support from palliative care.
In her struggle, she managed to get the support of her family, friends, and Smilow Cancer Hospital expert care. Again, it can be said that the treatments were not easy, though they were not helpless; she turned to her family, and became her advocate when it came to selecting a treatment plan. Subsequent, more in-depth examinations elucidated another twist; the then diagnosed metastases turned out to be sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease. This discovery shifted her disease classification from one deemed untreatable to one that became treatable. This was because their cancer had been upgraded from stage four to locally advanced cancer.
She had a mastectomy and other treatments, and the doctors said she had had no signs of cancer left. Today, she is happy to answer in her fifth year after the diagnosis: she thinks about family time, helping other breast cancer patients, and about herself as a writer, an artist, a traveller, and more. It is touching and informative, capturing essential advocacy, belief, and communal belief about what life takes in its most renewing and withering moments.
Cancer Survival Statistics of Men and Women
- The death rate from cancer for men is 173. 2 cases per 100,000 against 126. 4 among women.4
- The lowest cancer mortality rate per 100,000 in race/ethnicity and sex is 82.6 among non-Hispanic Asian/PI women, and the highest is 208. Three among non-Hispanic black men. 4
- Cancer patients are on the rise; despite this, there are one million cancer survivors in the United States alone. The ACS said the total number of cancer survivors will climb to 22. 5 million by 2032.4
- The number of actual cancer cases in children age 19 and younger has been estimated at 14,910 in the year 2024, while the cancer deaths in the group are expected to be 1,590. 4
- Out of pocket, Americans spent $208 on cancer this year, as estimated by Getty. 9 billion.
- It has been observed that the cancer rate increases with the life expectancy, Education level, and the standard of living of individuals. 4
The Financial Burden Due to Cancer
It is believed that because of the growing population of elderly people, the increasing incidence of cancer, as well as the usage of new but expensive treatments, this expenditure will rise.
A recent study by medical experts discusses the financial toxicity that patients suffering from cancer in the U.S. face. The present review notes that about half of the cancer patients experience financial impacts of their diseases and treatment: 49%, according to the study.
Components that are believed to be on the opposite side of the scale include no health insurance, low income, no job, and early age at the disease. Such burdens result in poorer health status, indicated by lower HRQoL and increased non-adherence to cancer medication.
The authors also discovered that increasing costs during the initial stages of cancer care did not vary in different cancer types.
Consequently, while financial costs were associated with less-than-optimal compliance and poor quality of life, increased mortality rates were reported only in one study investigating financial stress.
These financial losses should also call for more robust interventions than those that seek to address the problem.
To this end, the authors encourage the advancement of studies to design interventions that healthcare professionals may use to assist in the financial burdens experienced by malignant neoplasm patients.
Cancer Treatment Trends
- Personalised Cancer Vaccines: Different vaccines are being tested in the UK to help activate the immune response likely to attack specific cancer cells to avoid reoccurrence. Through mRNA technology, these vaccines are expected to have fewer side effects than chemotherapy and could be one of the most significant advancements in cancer care. 8
- Test to Identify 18 Early-Stage Cancers: A blood test invented in the U. S provides early-stage cancer indications by evaluating proteins and is cheaper than regular tests. This test could potentially change multi-cancer screening if it were to be developed further while it is still in its early stages. 8
- Seven-Minute Cancer Treatment Jab: For the first time, the English NHS has launched a seven-minute injection treatment for cancer instead of the intravenous process. This treatment, which targets lung and breast cancer, among others, will reduce the time spent by both patients and carers. 8
- Precision Oncology: Precision medicine is about accurately knowing tumors' genetic and molecular profiles to treat cancer successfully. This method's treatments have fewer side effects than traditional treatments because they are target-oriented and involve activating one or a few genes. 8
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Cancer Care: Of special concern is using AI in cancer solutions, including risk profiling, image analysis, early detection, and treatment recommendations. Advanced computer programs are catching cancer earlier and developing smart treatment plans, especially where specialists are scarce.8
Seven-Minute Cancer Treatment Jab
The NHS in England is set to launch a seven-minute anti-cancer injection as part of its health scheme for Atezolizumab (Tecentriq®). This immunotherapy drug has historically required intravenous administration.
The fast injection approved by the MHRA will save hundreds of patients yearly from taking 30 to 60 minutes for treatment instead of seven minutes. Atezolizumab enhances the body’s ability to fight cancer, including lung, breast, and liver cancer.
This inventiveness is said to improve the patient's perception while at the same time relieving pressure from the stretched NH facilities without incurring any further expense.
Professor Peter Johnson, National Director of Cancer, NHS, said, “Maintaining the best possible quality of life for cancer patients is vital, so the introduction of faster under-the-skin injections will make an important difference.”
“We will never eliminate the development of cancer, which is an intrinsic component of the aging process.”
“However, we must strive to optimize the use of screening strategies, strongly encourage HPV vaccination, and continue to explore molecular markers. These markers may predict an increased lifetime risk of a particular cancer type and may justify additional or more intense screening.”
Moving Forward
These statistics show that there have been a number of innovative advancements in cancer treatment and diagnosis. Technology such as artificial intelligence will assist in developing patient-specific treatments, which will increase patient survival.
Additionally, information concerning genetic endowments or the environment will lead to decision-making on individual cancer risks, allowing health care to be tailored more outstandingly to each patient and offering patients the treatment necessary for the specific instance of cancer.
Last but not least, the process of individual progression, taking into account the efforts to increase the availability of healthcare for people all over the world, helps to build an understanding of the potential changes in cancer rates in the future.
However, as cancer becomes one of the leading causes of death today, it still needs more probing, funding, and technological advancement.
If you’re interested in preventative measures and want a full body checkup, you can book a scan with our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the odds of surviving cancer?
The odds of surviving cancer vary widely depending on the type of cancer, stage at diagnosis, and overall health of the patient. Some cancers, like prostate and breast cancer, have much higher survival rates, while others, like pancreatic and lung cancer, have lower survival rates. Stage 4 cancer is generally considered incurable, but some patients achieve long-term remission.
Has stage 4 cancer ever been cured?
Stage 4 cancer is generally considered incurable because it means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. However, it can be treated and managed in some cases. There have been instances of patients achieving long-term remission, where the cancer is not detectable, and symptoms disappear, but this is rare and depends on many factors, including the type of cancer and treatment options available. No cancer is truly ‘100% curable,’ even in the early stages. While some cancers (like skin or testicular cancer) have very high cure rates, there is still some level of risk.
What's the longest someone has lived with stage 4 cancer?
Some patients have lived for more than ten or even 20 years with stage 4 cancer, especially if the cancer responds well to treatment or enters remission. With advancements in medical treatments and personalized therapies, survival times are improving, but it varies significantly from person to person.
What is the most aggressive cancer called?
The most aggressive cancers include pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma (a type of brain cancer), and certain types of lung cancer. These cancers are known for their rapid growth and spread, and they are often diagnosed at a late stage, making them difficult to treat.
What cancer is 100% curable?
Certain cancers are 100% curable when detected early and treated appropriately. For example, many cases of early-stage skin cancer (like basal cell carcinoma) and early-stage thyroid cancer have a nearly 100% cure rate. Additionally, testicular cancer, when caught early, also has a very high cure rate.
Will cancer ever be 100% curable?
It’s difficult to say if cancer will ever be 100% curable. While significant progress has been made in detection, treatment, and prevention, the complex nature of cancer cells and their ability to mutate presents ongoing challenges. However, researchers continue to make advances that bring us closer to more effective treatments and potential cures for certain types of cancer.
Sources
- Cancer Control Statistics
- Cancer Survival Rates - Nuffield Trust
- Cancer Survival Statistics - WCRF
- Cancer Statistics - National Cancer Institute
- Cancer Survival Rates Are Improving - Cancer Treatment Centers of America
- ACS Journal: Cancer Statistics
- 2022 Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Facts & Figures - American Cancer Society
- Global Cancer Burden Growing - WHO
- Worldwide Cancer Statistics - Cancer Research UK
