The Most Common Types of Cancer in the U.S.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide among middle-aged adults. However, deaths from cancer are catching up in some developed countries and even though cancer deaths are declining in the U.S., incidence isn't. According to the American Cancer Society, the estimated number of new cases in 2024 will cross the two-million mark for the first time ever. The main types of cancer affecting men and women, however, will remain largely the same as in previous years.

As our chart shows, the most frequently diagnosed types of cancer are breast cancer for women and prostate cancer for men. In 2024, almost one third of all new cancer diagnoses in women will be breast cancer. That number is slightly lower at 29 percent for prostate cancer in men. Men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer – the second most common cancer for both sexes - slightly less than women. But they are diagnosed with colorectal cancers more often, which has become the number one cause of cancer-related deaths for men below 50. While men more commonly suffer from bladder cancer, eight percent of cancer diagnoses in women are for cancer of the uterus. Overall, the American Cancer Society estimates that more men will be diagnosed with any type of cancer than women.