What Are the Five Main Cancers?

The five most common cancers are breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancers, and melanoma skin cancer.

Cancers are diseases in which abnormal cells grow out of control.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States; heart disease is the leading cause. In 2019, there were 599,601 cancer deaths in the U.S.; 283,725 were among females and 315,876 among males.

There are more than 100 types of cancer that can affect almost every part of the body. 

Types of cancer are usually named for the organs or tissues in which the cancers form, such as lung cancer that starts in cells of the lung, and pancreatic cancer that starts in cells of the pancreas. 

According to The American Cancer Society, the five most common cancers in the U.S., excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers, for 2021 are estimated to be: 

1. Breast cancer
2. Prostate cancer 
3. Lung cancer
4. Colorectal cancers
5. Melanoma skin cancer

According to the World Health Organization, the five most common cancers worldwide in 2020 were: 

1. Breast cancer
2. Lung cancer
3. Colorectal cancers
4. Prostate cancer
5. Non-melanoma skin cancers

The American Cancer Society estimates the five most deadly cancers for 2020 in the U.S. are: 

1. Lung cancer
2. Colorectal cancer
3. Pancreatic cancer
4. Breast cancer
5. Prostate cancer

Worldwide, the most common causes of cancer death in 2020 were:

1. Lung cancer
2. Colorectal cancer
3. Liver cancer
4. Stomach cancer
5. Breast cancer