In 2012, an estimated 1,638,910 people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer, and 577,190 will die of cancer¹. In the United States, cancer accounts for nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease². Worldwide, cancer is a leading cause of death, accounting for 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2008³. Deaths from cancer worldwide are projected to continue to rise to over 13.1 million in 2030⁴. Screening may reduce cancer morbidity and mortality since many cancers have a high chance of cure if detected early and treated adequately.

1. American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts and Figures 2012. http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-031941.pdf
2. Economic Impact of Cancer http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerBasics/economic-impact-of-cancer
3. Cancer Fact sheet N°297 February 2012 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/
4. Cancer Fact sheet N°297 February 2012 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/