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Cancer is the 5th leading cause of death in this age group, behind only accidents, suicide, homicide, and heart disease. It¡¯s the leading cause of death from disease among females in this age group, and is second only to heart disease among males.
Young women are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than young men, but young men and women are equally likely to die of cancer.
Survival rates for cancer in young adults have not changed much in recent decades, unlike the improvements seen in many cancers in children and older adults. Survival rates can vary a great deal, based on the type of cancer and other factors.
The ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as editors and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2020. Atlanta, GA. Special Section: Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Cancer Society. 2020.
Bleyer A. How NCCN guidelines can help young adults and older adolescents with cancer and the professionals who care for them. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2012;10:1065-1071.
Bleyer A, Ulrich C, Martin S. Young adults, cancer, health insurance, socioeconomic status, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Cancer. 2012;118(24):6018-6021.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Visualization Tool. Accessed at https://wisqars.cdc.gov/lcd/ on May 22, 2024.
National Cancer Institute. Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer. 2024. Accessed at www.cancer.gov/types/aya on May 22, 2024.
Last Revised: May 23, 2024
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.
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