You can get cancer at any age, including as infants and toddlers. But cancer is mostly a disease of middle age and beyond. The median age at diagnosis is 66, meaning that half of all new cases are found before then and half are diagnosed later.
The average age of individuals diagnosed with cancer is 66, according to the NCI. That means about half of all cancer cases are diagnosed in people 66 and older, and the risk continues to increase with age.
Cancer can develop at any age. But as we get older, most types of cancer become more common. This is because our cells can get damaged over time.
Leukemia, lymphoma and testicular cancer are more likely to be diagnosed in a person's early 20s, with breast and thyroid cancer and melanoma developing later in a person's 20s. Young men and young women are equally likely to hear the words "You have cancer" during this time of their life.
The most common teen and young adult cancers
The following cancers are most common in teenagers, ages 15 to 19: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Germ cell tumors, including testicular cancer and ovarian cancer. Central nervous system (CNS) tumors.
The incidence rates for cancer overall climb steadily as age increases, from fewer than 25 cases per 100,000 people in age groups under age 20, to about 350 per 100,000 people among those aged 45–49, to more than 1,000 per 100,000 people in age groups 60 years and older.
In general, cancer in children and teens is uncommon. In 2023, an estimated 9,910 children younger than 15 and about 5,280 teens ages 15 to 19 in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer. In children under 15, leukemia makes up 28% of all childhood cancers diagnosed.
Brain tumors are rare — less than 1 percent of the population is diagnosed with a malignant (cancerous) brain tumor during their lifetime.
Among children (ages 0 to 14 years), the most common types of cancer are leukemias, followed by brain and other CNS tumors, lymphomas, neuroblastoma, kidney tumors, and malignant bone tumors (1).
The earliest known case of human cancer was also osteosarcoma, found in the 1.7 million-year-old fossil of an early human ancestor in Swartkrans cave in South Africa.
The number stages are: stage 0 – the cancer is where it started (in situ) and hasn't spread. stage 1 – the cancer is small and hasn't spread anywhere else. stage 2 – the cancer has grown, but hasn't spread.
Many cancers form solid tumors, but cancers of the blood, such as leukemias, generally do not. Benign tumors do not spread into, or invade, nearby tissues. When removed, benign tumors usually don't grow back, whereas cancerous tumors sometimes do.
Many tumors are not cancer (they're benign). But they still may need treatment. Cancerous, or malignant, tumors can be life-threatening and require cancer treatment.
Years or even decades may pass before they cause noticeable symptoms. During this time, the cancer may go undetected. Cancer may also go undetected because of factors such as an individual's overall health and medical conditions that may cause symptoms similar to cancer.
Other symptoms of brain tumors include severe nausea, vomiting, seizures, personality changes, difficulties with speech, muscle weakness, vision or hearing loss, and problems with learning or memory. Early detection of brain tumors requires understanding and recognition of the above symptoms.
Cancers of the brain occur in people of all ages, but are more frequent in two age groups, children under the age of 15 and adults 65 years of age and over. Cancers of the spinal cord are less common than cancers of the brain.
Risk for developing a brain or spinal cord tumor
Overall, the chance that a person will develop a malignant tumor of the brain or spinal cord in their lifetime is less than 1%.
Non-cancerous tumours are not usually life-threatening. They are typically removed with surgery and do not usually come back (recur). There are many types of non-cancerous soft tissue tumours. They are grouped by the type of soft tissue where the tumour started.
Unusual lumps. Any new lump or mass that doesn't go away should be evaluated. Lymph nodes often become swollen when you have a cold, but if the swelling persists after you're well, you should contact your doctor.
About 67% of cancer survivors have survived 5 or more years after diagnosis. About 18% of cancer survivors have survived 20 or more years after diagnosis. 64% of survivors are age 65 or older.
While childhood cancer is often associated with leukemia, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that brain cancer is now the deadliest pediatric cancer.
Survival rates for children with cancer
Because of major treatment advances in recent decades, 85% of children with cancer now survive 5 years or more.
Cancers are not common between ages 20 and 39, so there aren't many widely recommended screening tests to look for cancer in people in this age group who are not at increased risk. The risk of cervical cancer is very low in people under the age of 25. The risk rises with age.