Key Statistics for Cancers in Young Adults
How common is cancer in young adults?
- About 80,000 young adults aged 20 to 39 are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States. About 4% of all cancers are diagnosed in people in this age range.
- About 9,000 young adults die from cancer each year.
Cancer is the 5th leading cause of death in this age group, behind only accidents, suicide, homicide, and heart disease. It’s the leading cause of death from disease among females in this age group, and is second only to heart disease among males.
Young women are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than young men, but young men and women are equally likely to die of cancer.
Survival rates for cancer in young adults
Survival rates for cancer in young adults have not changed much in recent decades, unlike the improvements seen in many cancers in children and older adults. Survival rates can vary a great deal, based on the type of cancer and other factors.
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- References
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as editors and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2020. Atlanta, GA. Special Section: Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults. American Cancer Society. 2020.
Bleyer A. How NCCN guidelines can help young adults and older adolescents with cancer and the professionals who care for them. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2012;10:1065-1071.
Bleyer A, Ulrich C, Martin S. Young adults, cancer, health insurance, socioeconomic status, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Cancer. 2012;118(24):6018-6021.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Visualization Tool. Accessed at https://wisqars.cdc.gov/lcd/ on May 22, 2024.
National Cancer Institute. Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer. 2024. Accessed at www.cancer.gov/types/aya on May 22, 2024.
Last Revised: May 23, 2024
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