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Common Cancer Types

Updated: 11/04/2010

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1-800-4-CANCER
LiveHelp online chat Cancer incidence and mortality statistics reported by the American Cancer Society1 and other resources
were used to create the list. To qualify as a common cancer, the estimated annual incidence for 2010 had
to be 40,000 cases or more.

The most common type of cancer on the list is lung cancer, with more than 222,000 new cases expected in
the United States in 2010. The cancer with the lowest incidence is leukemia. Leukemia as a cancer type
includes acute lymphoblastic (or lymphoid) leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid
NCI Highlights leukemia, chronic myelogenous (or myeloid) leukemia, and other forms of leukemia. It is estimated that
43,050 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the United States in 2010, with chronic lymphocytic
NCI Education and Training leukemia being the most common type (approximately 14,990 new cases).
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Professionals Because colon and rectal cancers are often referred to as "colorectal cancers," these two cancer types are
NCI Issues Cancer Trends combined for the list. For 2010, the estimated number of new cases of colon cancer and rectal cancer are
Progress Report: 2009/2010 102,900 and 39,670, respectively, adding to a total of 142,570 new cases of colorectal cancer.
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Kidney cancers can be divided into two major groups, renal parenchyma cancers and renal pelvis cancers.
Cancer Research FY 2011
Approximately 92 percent of kidney cancers develop in the renal parenchyma,2 and nearly all of these
cancers are renal cell cancers. The estimated number of new cases of renal cell cancer for 2010 is 53,581.

The following table gives the estimated numbers of new cases and deaths for each common cancer type:

Cancer Type Estimated New Cases Estimated Deaths

Bladder 70,530 14,680

Breast (Female – Male) 207,090 – 1,970 39,840 – 390

Colon and Rectal (Combined) 142,570 51,370

Endometrial 43,470 7,950

Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer 53,581 11,997

Leukemia 43,050 21,840

Lung (Including Bronchus) 222,520 157,300

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/commoncancers 28-03-2011
Common Cancer Types - National Cancer Institute Page 2 of 2

Melanoma 68,130 8,700

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 65,540 20,210

Pancreatic 43,140 36,800

Prostate 217,730 32,050

Thyroid 44,670 1,690

References

1. American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts and Figures 2010. Atlanta, Ga: American Cancer Society,
2010. Also available online (PDF - 1543 KB). Last accessed July 15, 2010.
2. Chow W-H, Dong LM, and Devesa SS: Epidemiology and risk factors for kidney cancer. Nature
Reviews Urology 7(5):245-257, 2010. [PUBMED Abstract]

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http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/commoncancers 28-03-2011