type of cancer
The list of common cancer types includes cancers that are diagnosed with the greatest frequency in the United States. Cancer incidence statistics from the American Cancer Society and other resources were used to create the list. To qualify as a common cancer, the estimated annual incidence for 2007 had to be 30,000 cases or more.
The most common type of cancer on the list is non-melanoma skin cancer, with more than 1,000,000 new cases expected in the United States in 2007. Non-melanoma skin cancers represent about half of all cancers diagnosed in this country.
The cancer on the list with the lowest incidence is thyroid cancer. The estimated number of new cases of thyroid cancer for 2007 is 33,550.
Because colon and rectal cancers are often referred to as "colorectal cancers," these two cancer types were combined for the list. For 2007, the estimated number of new cases of colon cancer is 112,340, and the estimated number of new cases of rectal cancer is 41,420.
Kidney cancers can be divided into two major groups, renal parenchyma cancers and renal pelvis cancers. Approximately 85 percent of kidney cancers develop in the renal parenchyma, and nearly all of these cancers are renal cell cancers. The estimated number of new cases of renal cell cancer for 2007 is 43,512.
Leukemia as a cancer type includes acute lymphoblastic (or lymphoid) leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myelogenous (or myeloid) leukemia, and other forms of leukemia. It is estimated that more than 44,000 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the United States in 2007, with chronic lymphocytic leukemia being the most common type (approximately 15,000 new cases).
The following table gives the estimated numbers of new cases and deaths for each common cancer type:
Cancer Type   Estimated New Cases    Estimated Deaths   
Bladder    67,160    13,750   
Breast (Female -- Male)  178,480 -- 2,030    40,460 -- 450       
Colon and Rectal (Combined)       153,760   52,180   
Endometrial    39,080    7,400     
Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer   43,512    10,957   
Leukemia (All)       44,240    21,790   
Lung (Including Bronchus)    213,380   160,390  
Melanoma       59,940    8,110     
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma    63,190    18,660   
Pancreatic      37,170    33,370   
Prostate   218,890   27,050   
Skin (Non-melanoma)    >1,000,000     <2,000   
Thyroid   33,550    1,530    
References
1.    American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts and Figures 2007. Atlanta, Ga: American Cancer Society, 2007. Also available online. Last accessed January 18, 2007.