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Facts 2023-2024 is provides the latest data available for blood cancers.
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General blood cancers
Blood cancer can affect the bone marrow, the blood cells, the lymph nodes, and other parts of the lymphatic system.
New cases
- Approximately every three minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma.
- An estimated combined total of 187,740 people in the U.S. were expected to be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2024.
- New cases of leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma were expected to account for 9.4 percent of the estimated 2,001,140 new cancer cases that would be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2024.
Prevalence
Prevalence is the estimated number of people alive on a certain date in a population who previously had a diagnosis of the disease. An estimated 1,698,339 people in the U.S. are living with or in remission from leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), or myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).
Survival
Relative survival compares the survival rate of a person diagnosed with a disease to that of a person without the disease. The most recent survival data available may not fully represent the outcomes of all current therapies and therefore may underestimate survival to a small degree.
Deaths
- Approximately every nine minutes, someone in the U.S. dies from blood cancer.* This statistic represents approximately 157 people each day, or more than six people every hour.
- Leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma were expected to cause the deaths of an estimated 57,260 people in the U.S. in 2024.
- These diseases were expected to account for 9.4 percent of the deaths from cancer in 2024, based on the estimated total of 611,720 cancer deaths.
*Data specified for “blood cancer” include leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, and do not include myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) due to lack of available data.
View facts and statistics about each type of blood cancer. Open each section to learn more:
New cases
In 2024, 62,770 people were expected to be diagnosed with leukemia.
Prevalence
Prevalence is the estimated number of people alive on a certain date in a population who previously had a diagnosis of the disease. An estimated 456,481 people are living with or in remission from leukemia in the U.S.
Survival
The five-year relative survival rate for leukemia has more than doubled, from 34 percent between 1975 to 1977 to 70 percent between 2013 to 2019. From 2013 to 2019, the five-year relative survival rates overall were:
- ALL: 71.3 percent overall, 92.1 percent for children and adolescents younger than 15 years, and 93.5 percent for children younger than 5 years
- AML: 31.7 percent overall and 68.8 percent for children and adolescents younger than 15 years
- CLL: 88 percent overall
- CML: 70.6 percent overall*
*The survival rate of CML in clinical trials is higher than the survival rate reported here, based on SEER data. It is speculated that close clinical monitoring and better medication adherence in clinical trials are associated with a lower risk of disease progression and higher rates of survival.
Deaths
- Approximately 23,670 deaths (13,640 males and 110,030 females) in the U.S. were expected to be attributed to leukemia in 2024.
- From 2016 to 2020, leukemia was the sixth most common cause of cancer deaths in males and the seventh most common cause of cancer deaths in females in the U.S.
New cases
About 89,190 people in the U.S. were expected to be diagnosed with lymphoma in 2024 (8,570 cases of Hodgkin lymphoma, and 80,620 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), respectively).
Prevalence
Prevalence is the estimated number of people alive on a certain date in a population who previously had a diagnosis of the disease. There are an estimated 912,982 people living with, or in remission from, lymphoma* in the U.S.:
- There are 165,856 people living with or in remission from Hodgkin lymphoma
- There are 750,602 people living with or in remission from non-Hodgkin lymphoma
*The unique number of people living with or in remission from lymphoma may not equal the sum of those living with or in remission from both HL and NHL due to people diagnosed with both Hodgkin lymphoma and NHL
Survival
- The five-year relative survival rate for people with Hodgkin lymphoma has increased more than 21 percent—from 73 percent during the period 1975 to 1977 to 88.9 percent during the period 2013 to 2019. The five-year relative survival rate is 96 percent for all people with Hodgkin lymphoma who were younger than 50 at diagnosis.
- Hodgkin lymphoma is now considered to be one of the most curable forms of cancer.
- The five-year relative survival rate for people with NHL has risen from 46 percent from 1975 to 1977 to 74.3 percent from 2013 to 2019. The five-year relative survival rate is 85.6 percent for all people with NHL who were younger than 50 years at diagnosis.
Deaths
In 2024, an estimated 21,050 people in the U.S. were expected to die from lymphoma (910 deaths from Hodgkin lymphoma, and 20,140 deaths from NHL, respectively).
New cases
An estimated 35,780 new cases of myeloma (19,520 males and 16,260 females) were expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2024.
Prevalence
Prevalence is the estimated number of people alive on a certain date in a population who previously had a diagnosis of the disease. An estimated 168,234 people in the U.S. are living with or in remission from myeloma.
Survival
- Five-year relative survival increased from 24 percent from 1975 to 1977 to 59.8 percent from 2013 to 2019.
- The three-year survival rate as of January 1, 2020, was 71.7 percent for all races and ethnicities.
- The five-year survival rate is 77.7 percent for people with myeloma who were younger than 50 at diagnosis.
Deaths
Approximately 12,540 deaths from myeloma were expected in 2024.
New cases
For the five-year period from 2016 to 2020, there were 77,552 new cases of MDS throughout the U.S., averaging 15,510 cases per year.
Prevalence
Prevalence is the estimated number of people alive on a certain date in a population who previously had a diagnosis of the disease. An estimated 60,041 people in the U.S. are living with or in remission from MDS.
Survival
For the period from 2013 to 2019, the five-year relative survival rate for MDS was 36.9 percent.
Deaths
The SEER report reflects mortality data from the National Cancer for Health Statistics (NCHS) database, in which MDS is not included as a cause of death. Therefore, mortality statistics were not reported in 2023 at the time of this publication.
New cases
For the five-year period from 2016 to 2020, there were 69,354 new cases of MPNs throughout the U.S., averaging 13,871 cases per year.
Prevalence
Prevalence is the estimated number of people alive on a certain date in a population who previously had a diagnosis of the disease. An estimated 120,761 people in the U.S. are living with or in remission from MPNs.
Survival
For the period from 2013 to 2019, the five-year relative survival rate for MPNs was 88.4 percent.
Deaths
The SEER report reflects mortality data from the National Cancer for Health Statistics (NCHS) database, in which MDS is not included as a cause of death. Therefore, mortality statistics were not reported in 2024 at the time of this publication.
Blood cancer in young adults
An estimated 152,893 young adults (ages 20-39 years*) in the U.S. are living with or in remission from leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs^).
- Approximately 9 percent of all people living with blood cancers in the U.S. are ages 20-39 years. See Table 9.
- From 2016-2020, 6 percent of all blood cancers (leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, MDS and MPNs) were diagnosed in young adults ages 20-39 years.
- Lymphoma is the most common blood cancer diagnosed in young adults ages 20-39 years and accounts for 60.4 percent of all blood cancer cases in this age-group.
- In young adults ages 20-39 years, lymphoma (Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma combined) is the fifth most frequently occurring type of cancer in all races and ethnicities.
o NHL is eighth most frequently occurring
o Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is tenth most frequently occurring - In young adults ages 20-39 years, leukemia is the ninth most frequently occurring type of cancer in all races and ethnicities.
- From 2016 to 2020, the most recent five years for which data are available, leukemia and lymphoma accounted for 13.4 percent of all cancer types in adolescents and young adults ages 20- 39 years.
o Lymphoma accounted for 9.3 percent of all cancer cases in young adults ages 20-39 years (NHL, 5 percent; Hodgkin lymphoma, 4.3 percent).
o Leukemia accounted for 4.1 percent of all cancer cases in young adults ages 20-39 years. - Leukemia is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among young adults ages 20-39 years. This accounts for 9 percent of all cancer-related deaths among this age-group.
- NHL is the 10th leading cause of cancer deaths among young adults ages 20-39 years. This accounts for 3.9 percent of all cancer-related deaths among this age-group.
*The reporting of adolescent and young adult cancer in this publication includes ages 15 through 39 years, in keeping with other major reporting sources. This grouping intentionally overlaps with the reporting of childhood cancers for ages under 20 years, accounting for a transitional phase between childhood and adult cancer.
^Myeloma, MDS and MPNs are not commonly diagnosed in adolescents and young adults ages 15-39 years.
| Table 9. Approximate U.S. prevalence of the six major types of blood cancers in young adults ages 20–39 years, as of January 1, 2020 | |
Type | Prevalence |
| Myeloma ^ | 1,420 |
| Hodgkin lymphoma^ | 50,202 |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma^ | 38,564 |
| Leukemia^ | 57,049 |
| Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs)* | 5,442 |
| Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)* | 1,097 |
Source: SEER*Explorer, an interactive website for SEER cancer statistics [Internet]. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute; 2023 Apr 19. [updated: 2023 Nov 16; cited 2024 Feb 21]. Data source(s): U.S. 2020 cancer prevalence estimates are based on 2020 cancer prevalence proportions from the SEER 12 Areas (excluding the Alaska Native Tumor Registry) and 1/1/2020 U.S. population estimates based on the average of 2019 and 2020 population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. ^28-year limited-duration prevalence. *19-year limited-duration prevalence. Shorter duration prevalence required due to fewer years of reportability for these cancers. | |
Childhood and adolescent blood cancers
- An estimated 54,868 children and adolescents younger than 20 years in the U.S. are living with or in remission from leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, MDS, or MPNs.
- Leukemia is the most common cancer diagnosed in children and adolescents younger than 20 years and accounts for 25.4 percent of all cancer cases in this age group.
- From 2016 to 2020, the most recent five years for which data are available, leukemia and lymphoma accounted for 38.4 percent of all cancer types in children and adolescents younger than 20 years.
- The most common types of cancer in children and adolescents younger than 20 years are leukemia (25.4 percent), cancers of the brain and other nervous tissue (15.9 percent), NHL (6.6 percent), Hodgkin lymphoma(6.4 percent), and thyroid cancer (6 percent).
- The age-adjusted incidence rate of leukemia and lymphoma in children and adolescents younger than 20 years is 7.4 per 100,000 (leukemia, 4.9; and lymphoma, 2.5, respectively).
- Leukemia is the second leading cause of cancer deaths (after cancers of the brain and other nervous tissue) among children and adolescents younger than 20 years. This accounts for 24.7 percent of all cancer-related deaths among this age group.
- From 2016 to 2020, 4.3 percent of all leukemia and lymphoma cases were diagnosed in children and adolescents younger than 20 years.
- From 2016 to 2020, 3.1 percent of all blood cancers (leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, MDS, and MPNs*) were diagnosed in children and adolescents younger than 20 years.
* Myeloma, MDS and MPNs are not commonly diagnosed in children or adolescents younger than 20 years old.
| Approximate U.S. Prevalence of the Six Major Types of Blood Cancers in Adolescents and Young Adults Younger than 20 Years as of January 1, 2020 | |
Type | Prevalence |
| Myeloma ^ | 23 |
| Hodgkin lymphoma^ | 4,435 |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma^ | 7,397 |
| Leukemia^ | 42,195 |
| Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs)* | 462 |
| Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)* | 438 |
Source: SEER*Explorer, an interactive website for SEER cancer statistics [Internet]. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute; 2023 Apr 19. [updated: 2023 Nov 16; cited 2024 Feb 21]. Data source(s): U.S. 2020 cancer prevalence estimates are based on 2020 cancer prevalence proportions from the SEER 12 Areas (excluding the Alaska Native Tumor Registry) and 1/1/2020 U.S. population estimates based on the average of 2019 and 2020 population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. ^28-year limited-duration prevalence. *19-year limited-duration prevalence. Shorter duration prevalence required due to fewer years of reportability for these cancers. | |
| Approximate U.S. Prevalence of the Six Major Types of Blood Cancers in Adolescents and Young Adults Ages 15-39 as of January 1, 2020 | |
Type | Prevalence |
| Myeloma ^ | 1,440 |
| Hodgkin lymphoma^ | 53,531 |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma^ | 42,308 |
| Leukemia^ | 72,541 |
| Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs)* | 5,685 |
| Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)* | 1,274 |
Source: SEER*Explorer, an interactive website for SEER cancer statistics [Internet]. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute; 2023 Apr 19. [updated: 2023 Nov 16; cited 2024 Feb 21]. Data source(s): U.S. 2020 cancer prevalence estimates are based on 2020 cancer prevalence proportions from the SEER 12 Areas (excluding the Alaska Native Tumor Registry) and 1/1/2020 U.S. population estimates based on the average of 2019 and 2020 population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. ^28-year limited-duration prevalence. *19-year limited-duration prevalence. Shorter duration prevalence required due to fewer years of reportability for these cancers. | |
Source: Facts 2023-2024. Facts 2023-2024 provides updates from the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures 2024 (published online in 2024, https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics. html) for estimated numbers of new blood cancer cases and estimated numbers of deaths due to blood cancers.
The incidence rates, prevalence, and mortality data in Facts 2023-2024 reflect the statistics from the National Cancer Institute’s SEER*Explorer: An interactive website for SEER cancer statistics [Internet]. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute. [Cited 2024 March]. Available at https://seer.cancer.gov/statistics-network/explorer.
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