The Deadliest Cancers in America
andresr / E+ via Getty Images 20. Intrahepatic bile duct > Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 99,183 > Incidence, 1999-2019: 67,634 — #27 highest out of 69 cancers Ridofranz / iStock via Getty Images 19. Other leukemias > Total number…
Cancer has always been with us, at least back to the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth 80 million years ago (cancerous cells have been found in dinosaur fossils).
Today, it is the second leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease (COVID comes third). More than 600,000 people succumb to various kinds of cancer each year in the U.S. (These are the states where deaths from cancer are going up.)
Despite significant strides in cancer detection and treatment over the last couple of decades that have made the illness manageable in many cases, it remains a deadly threat.
To determine the deadliest cancers in America, 24/7 Tempo reviewed cancer mortality data released in November 2022 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s WONDER database – a system for disseminating public health information and data. Cancer types are ranked based on the total number of deaths caused by each one occurring between 1999 and 2019.
Click here to see the deadliest cancers in America
Having health insurance gives people access to preventive care services that can help catch health problems, such as cancer, early, when they are easier to treat. Without coverage, people have to pay for medical expenses out of pocket, which can be very expensive, causing many people to avoid seeing a doctor for as long as possible. (These are the 21 states where the most people don’t have health insurance.)
30. Tongue
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 45,090
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 237,252 — #23 highest out of 69 cancers
29. Mesothelioma
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 52,527
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 66,951 — #28 highest out of 69 cancers
28. Other non-epithelial skin
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 63,996
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 111,810 — #26 highest out of 69 cancers
27. Aleukemic, subleukemic, and NOS (not otherwise specified) leukemias
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 66,094
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 38,757 — #29 highest out of 69 cancers
26. Larynx
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 78,791
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 263,131 — #22 highest out of 69 cancers
25. Corpus uteri (endometrial)
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 84,177
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 942,305 — #10 highest out of 69 cancers
24. Cervix uteri (cervical)
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 85,352
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 271,212 — #21 highest out of 69 cancers
23. Soft tissue including heart
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 89,315
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 218,824 — #24 highest out of 69 cancers
22. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 92,864
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 341,468 — #18 highest out of 69 cancers
21. Uterus and NOS (not otherwise specified)
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 93,348
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 32,598 — #30 highest out of 69 cancers
20. Intrahepatic bile duct
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 99,183
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 67,634 — #27 highest out of 69 cancers
19. Other leukemias
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 133,754
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 116,268 — #25 highest out of 69 cancers
18. Melanoma of the skin
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 176,200
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 1,388,783 — #6 highest out of 69 cancers
17. Acute myeloid leukemia
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 190,193
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 271,930 — #20 highest out of 69 cancers
16. Rectum and rectosigmoid junction
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 197,566
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 862,711 — #12 highest out of 69 cancers
15. Myeloma
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 237,566
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 455,718 — #14 highest out of 69 cancers
14. Stomach
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 242,869
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 470,016 — #13 highest out of 69 cancers
13. Kidney and renal pelvis
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 273,706
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 1,104,813 — #9 highest out of 69 cancers
12. Esophagus
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 294,239
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 339,031 — #19 highest out of 69 cancers
11. Ovary
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 300,541
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 451,052 — #16 highest out of 69 cancers
10. Urinary bladder, invasive and in situ
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 302,599
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 1,455,495 — #5 highest out of 69 cancers
9. Brain and other nervous system
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 303,296
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 450,433 — #17 highest out of 69 cancers
8. Liver
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 319,541
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 454,873 — #15 highest out of 69 cancers
7. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 437,847
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 1,344,260 — #7 highest out of 69 cancers
6. Prostate
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 618,082
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 4,428,868 — #3 highest out of 69 cancers
5. Pancreas
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 763,842
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 863,830 — #11 highest out of 69 cancers
4. Miscellaneous tumors
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 864,325
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 1,200,611 — #8 highest out of 69 cancers
3. Female breast *
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 867,199
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 4,675,626 — #1 highest out of 69 cancers
2. Colon excluding rectum
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 924,085
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 2,216,352 — #4 highest out of 69 cancers
1. Lung and bronchus
> Total number of deaths, 1999-2019: 3,244,697
> Incidence, 1999-2019: 4,471,220 — #2 highest out of 69 cancers
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Hristina Byrnes is the editor of 247Tempo.com, where she handles the site's assignments and editing. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, which she earned in 2012, and she specializes in translating complex health data research into engaging, accessible stories for a general audience.
When she's not poring over the latest data sets or brainstorming story ideas, you can find Hristina watching tennis, playing tennis with her son, or trying to get her daughter into tennis.
