Table of ContentsView AllTable of Contents1. Lung Cancer2. Colorectal Cancer3. Pancreatic Cancer4. Breast Cancer5. Prostate CancerThe Fastest-Killing Cancer
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Lung Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Breast Cancer
Prostate Cancer
The Fastest-Killing Cancer
The deadliest cancer types include lung cancer, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer. However, assessing the most aggressive types depends on many factors including the stage of cancer at diagnosis, the treatment you receive, and any genetic variations of the cancer.
After heart disease, cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States.The American Cancer Society estimates 2 million new cases ofcanceroverall in 2024 and 1,680 cancer deaths per day.
The cancers below are listed as the overall deadliest cancers because they have the most deaths per year. Keep in mind that the number of estimated deaths can vary between males and females.
For example, liver cancers are a top 5 fatal cancer in males but not females. Breast cancer is the No. 2 fatal cancer for females (it’s the top cause in Black females) and uterine cancer is in the top 5.
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Estimated new cases of lung and bronchus cancer in 2024:234,580
Many people withlung cancerare diagnosed when the disease is already at anadvanced stage. That means it’s more likely they will eventually die of the disease. Smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer.
The disease is divided into two types—small cell lung cancerandnon-small cell lung cancer. Depending on the type and stage, treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy.
Estimated cases of colorectal cancer in 2024:152,810
At first,colorectal cancercauses few or no symptoms. If caught early, it’s treatable and has good five-year survival rates. Five-year survival rates measure how many people with the condition are still living five years after they were diagnosed. However, it’s important to remember that these statistics don’t always reflect new trends or treatments, or an individual prognosis (outlook).
The survival rate for people with localized, early-stage colorectal cancer is around 91%.But early detection accounts for just one in three cases, and five-year survival rates for advanced colorectal cancer are much lower. Keep in mind that these cancers are on the rise in younger people.
A colonoscopy can detect and treat colon cancer in its early stages. A colonoscopy uses a tiny camera on a thin, flexible tube to check for signs of cancer in your colon.
Small, early-stage cancers may be removed during a colonoscopy. Larger tumors usually call for surgery. Sometimes it is combined with chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, and/orimmunotherapy. These treatments shrink tumors and limit their spread.
Estimated cases of pancreatic cancer in 2024:66,440
Pancreatic canceris aggressive. It often kills quickly and causes painful symptoms like:
People with this type of cancer often need surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation can be used to shrink tumors when they can’t be removed.Surgery to cure pancreatic cancer is only possible in 10% to 20% of cases.
There aren’t any reliable screening options for pancreatic cancer yet. People with higher risk should have regular ultrasound and MRI/CT imaging tests.
Estimated cases of invasive female breast cancer in 2024:310,720
Estimated cases of male breast cancer in 2024:2,790
Typically, it takes time for cells to become fully malignant and invade other body tissues. When found early, breast cancer is very treatable. The five-year relative survival rate for localized breast cancer is 99%. Localized means there’s no sign that cancer has spread outside of the breast. People with localized breast cancer are almost as likely to survive for at least five years as people without the condition.
Black women often experience breast cancer diagnosis at a later stage. Lesbian and bisexual females also face a higher risk of breast cancer overall, with transgender males at higher risk than other men.
Breast cancer treatmentsvary. Surgery can be extensive (mastectomy) or breast-conserving (lumpectomy).
In addition to breast surgery, the disease can be treated with:
Estimated cases of prostate cancer in 2024:299,010
Prostate cancer starts in a gland found between the rectum and bladder in males. It is considered anadenocarcinoma. It usually affects older men and is more common among Black men and those with a family history of the disease.
Mostprostate cancersgrow slowly. People with this type of cancer may not have symptoms right away. For this reason, doctors may take a wait-and-watch approach to treatment. In fact, many people with prostate cancer die of unrelated causes, like a heart attack or stroke. The five-year relative survival rate of localized prostate cancer is greater than 99%.
Treatment of prostate cancer includes:
Older men were once routinely screened for prostate cancer using digital rectal exam andprostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, even if they had no symptoms. Today, many experts question the value of prostate screening, and most guidelines say it’s an individual’s decision.
If defining “fastest-killing” cancer is based on which cancer has the worst five-year relative survival rate, then the focus would be on cancers like glioblastoma, pancreatic cancer, and malignantmesothelioma(a relatively rare cancer in the U.S. with about 3,000 cases a year).
However, there are some differences in survival rates for these two cancers, depending on the stage of cancer when it’s diagnosed. Malignant mesothelioma that has metastasized (spread) has a five-year survival rate of 7%.It’s just 3% for pancreatic cancer with a distant spread and 6.8% in adults diagnosed with glioblastoma.
Keep in mind:
Summary
Most of the time, the deadliest cancers are common to all people who are diagnosed, but they can vary. For example, lung cancer proves fatal more than any other cancer type, but since 2019 breast cancer has been more deadly than lung cancer in Black women.Breast cancer also claims far fewer fatalities among males, who face a greater risk of prostate and liver cancers than females do.
Keep in mind that five-year survival rates are based on past data, and they don’t always reflect current trends or advances in care. Talk to your healthcare provider about your specific situation if facing a difficult prognosis due to cancers of the pancreas, colon, or another site.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats—leading causes of death.American Cancer Society.Cancer Facts & Figures 2024.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Lung cancer risk factors.Brunner M, Wu Z, Krautz C, Pilarsky C, Grützmann R, Weber GF.Current clinical strategies of pancreatic cancer treatment and open molecular questions.Int J Mol Sci.2019;20(18):4543. doi:10.3390/ijms20184543Elsayed M, Abdelrahim M.The latest advancement in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma therapy: A review article for the latest guidelines and novel therapies.Biomedicines. 2021;9(4):389. doi:10.3390/biomedicines9040389Goggins M, Overbeek KA, Brand R, et al.Management of patients with increased risk for familial pancreatic cancer: Updated recommendations from the International Cancer of the Pancreas Screening (CAPS) Consortium.Gut.2020;69(1):7-17. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319352BreastCancer.org.U.S. breast cancer statistics.American Cancer Society.Survival rates of breast cancer.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for prostate cancer.American Cancer Society.Key statistics about malignant mesothelioma.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for malignant mesothelioma.National Brain Tumor Society.About Glioblastoma.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for pancreatic cancer.Giaquinto AN, Miller KD, Tossas KY, Winn RA, Jemal A, Siegel RL.Cancer statistics for African American/Black People 2022.CA Cancer J Clin. 2022 May;72(3):202-229. doi:10.3322/caac.21718
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats—leading causes of death.American Cancer Society.Cancer Facts & Figures 2024.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Lung cancer risk factors.Brunner M, Wu Z, Krautz C, Pilarsky C, Grützmann R, Weber GF.Current clinical strategies of pancreatic cancer treatment and open molecular questions.Int J Mol Sci.2019;20(18):4543. doi:10.3390/ijms20184543Elsayed M, Abdelrahim M.The latest advancement in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma therapy: A review article for the latest guidelines and novel therapies.Biomedicines. 2021;9(4):389. doi:10.3390/biomedicines9040389Goggins M, Overbeek KA, Brand R, et al.Management of patients with increased risk for familial pancreatic cancer: Updated recommendations from the International Cancer of the Pancreas Screening (CAPS) Consortium.Gut.2020;69(1):7-17. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319352BreastCancer.org.U.S. breast cancer statistics.American Cancer Society.Survival rates of breast cancer.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for prostate cancer.American Cancer Society.Key statistics about malignant mesothelioma.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for malignant mesothelioma.National Brain Tumor Society.About Glioblastoma.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for pancreatic cancer.Giaquinto AN, Miller KD, Tossas KY, Winn RA, Jemal A, Siegel RL.Cancer statistics for African American/Black People 2022.CA Cancer J Clin. 2022 May;72(3):202-229. doi:10.3322/caac.21718
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats—leading causes of death.American Cancer Society.Cancer Facts & Figures 2024.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Lung cancer risk factors.Brunner M, Wu Z, Krautz C, Pilarsky C, Grützmann R, Weber GF.Current clinical strategies of pancreatic cancer treatment and open molecular questions.Int J Mol Sci.2019;20(18):4543. doi:10.3390/ijms20184543Elsayed M, Abdelrahim M.The latest advancement in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma therapy: A review article for the latest guidelines and novel therapies.Biomedicines. 2021;9(4):389. doi:10.3390/biomedicines9040389Goggins M, Overbeek KA, Brand R, et al.Management of patients with increased risk for familial pancreatic cancer: Updated recommendations from the International Cancer of the Pancreas Screening (CAPS) Consortium.Gut.2020;69(1):7-17. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319352BreastCancer.org.U.S. breast cancer statistics.American Cancer Society.Survival rates of breast cancer.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for prostate cancer.American Cancer Society.Key statistics about malignant mesothelioma.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for malignant mesothelioma.National Brain Tumor Society.About Glioblastoma.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for pancreatic cancer.Giaquinto AN, Miller KD, Tossas KY, Winn RA, Jemal A, Siegel RL.Cancer statistics for African American/Black People 2022.CA Cancer J Clin. 2022 May;72(3):202-229. doi:10.3322/caac.21718
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Elsayed M, Abdelrahim M.The latest advancement in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma therapy: A review article for the latest guidelines and novel therapies.Biomedicines. 2021;9(4):389. doi:10.3390/biomedicines9040389
Goggins M, Overbeek KA, Brand R, et al.Management of patients with increased risk for familial pancreatic cancer: Updated recommendations from the International Cancer of the Pancreas Screening (CAPS) Consortium.Gut.2020;69(1):7-17. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319352
BreastCancer.org.U.S. breast cancer statistics.
American Cancer Society.Survival rates of breast cancer.
American Cancer Society.Key statistics for prostate cancer.
American Cancer Society.Key statistics about malignant mesothelioma.
American Cancer Society.Survival rates for malignant mesothelioma.
National Brain Tumor Society.About Glioblastoma.
American Cancer Society.Survival rates for pancreatic cancer.
Giaquinto AN, Miller KD, Tossas KY, Winn RA, Jemal A, Siegel RL.Cancer statistics for African American/Black People 2022.CA Cancer J Clin. 2022 May;72(3):202-229. doi:10.3322/caac.21718
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