Cancer Statistics

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US for adults.
Cancer is the cause of death in approximately 23% each year.

Current lifetime risk for American sis estimated as one in three among women and one in two among men.  Lifetime probability for men 46%, women 38%.

The American Cancer Society states that as many as one third of cancer deaths in the US could be prevented if Americans consumed a diet rich in plants and maintained a healthy body weight.  A diet that consists mostly of plant-based foods together with restricting intake of saturated and trans fats and added sugars, and maintaining a BMI < 25 is associated with a reduced risk for chronic diseases such as cancer.

The number of cancer survivors in the US is over 11 million.

Although the precise number of new cases that occur each year is unknown, the incidence in the US was greater than 1.4 million cases in 2007 (does not include carcinoma in situ or skin cancers except for melanoma)

Worldwide, Cancer rates are projected to more than double by the year 2030 due to:

• Growth of the worldwide population
• Aging of the population
• Improved screening, detection and treatments (will also result in higher survival rates)
• Projected increase in tobacco use
• Increases in the number of individuals with HIV/AIDS in some countries

Estimated cancer deaths in the US
MEN (2008) :

1. Lung and Bronchus (31%
2. Prostate (10%)
3. Colon and Rectum (8%)
4. Pancreas (6%)
5. Liver, intrahepatic, bile ducts (4%)
6. Leukemia (4%)
7. Esophagus (4%)
8. Urinary bladder (3%)
9. Non Hodgkins Lymphoma (3%)
10. Kidney and Renal (3%)
11. All other sites (24%)

WOMEN (2008):

1. Lung and Bronchus (26%)
2. Breast (15%)
3. Colon and Rectum (9%)
4. Pancreas (6%)
5. Ovary (6%)
6. Non Hodgkins Lymphoma (3%)
7. Leukemia (3%)
8. Uterine Corpus (3%)
9. Liver, intrahepatic, bile ducts (2%)
10. Brain/other nervous system (2%)
11. All other sites (25%)

Clinical Nutrition for Oncology Patients, 2010 Jones and Bartlett Publishers