About the Database

Overview

The U.S. Cancer Statistics public use database includes cancer incidence and population data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, providing information on more than 37 million cancer cases.

The database includes data by demographic characteristics (for example, age, sex, and race) and tumor characteristics (for example, year of diagnosis, primary tumor site, histology, behavior, and stage at diagnosis).

Hospitals, physicians, and laboratories across the nation report these data to central cancer registries supported by CDC and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The databases are intended for researchers to conduct focused analyses beyond what is available through the U.S. Cancer Statistics Data Visualizations tool.

Researchers, public health professionals, clinicians, decision makers, and others can use these data to inform scientific inquiries, programs, and policies by identifying disparities in cancer burden, investigating trends and geographic distributions in cancer incidence, and evaluating and monitoring cancer prevention activities.

The current data come from the 2023 National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program submissions, which include cancer cases diagnosed from January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2021. Each year, NPCR- and SEER-supported central cancer registries submit data from a referent year to the close of the most current diagnosis year. The submitted data include information from previous years and are updated with information from the newly submitted records to ensure case completeness and high quality.

CDC and NCI support the data collection and quality standards in the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) consensus documents. During data collection, CDC and NCI also apply additional rigorous quality control edits, data completeness evaluations, and data quality assessments. For a registry's data to be included in the U.S. Cancer Statistics public research data file, they must meet the U.S. Cancer Statistics publication standard.

Number of records in the database

The list below shows the number of cases available for the most recent U.S. Cancer Statistics data release.*

• All cases: 37,277,847 (includes benign and borderline brain and other nervous system tumors from 2004 onward)
• Malignant cases^†: 33,622,934
• Malignant and in situ cases^†: 36,234,867

*The following criteria apply to the U.S. Cancer Statistics public use database:

NPCR- and SEER-supported cancer registries report all incident cases coded as in situ (non-malignant) and invasive (malignant; primary site only), and non-malignant (including borderline and benign) central nervous system tumors according to the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, Third Edition (ICD-O-3), with the following exceptions:

• In situ cancers of the cervix are not reported.
• Basal and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin are not reported, except when these occur on the skin of the genital organs.
• Additionally, in situ urinary bladder cancers were re-coded as invasive behavior.

^†Malignant and in situ cases are defined using Behavior code ICD-O-3.

Suggested citations

Please use these standard citations for tables and figures when presented in presentations or publications.

For population coverage

Data are from population-based registries that participate in CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries and/or NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program and meet high-quality data criteria. These registries cover approximately [XX]% of the U.S. population.

For age-adjusted rates

Rates are per 100,000 persons and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population (19 age groups – Census P25–1130).

For the database

National Program of Cancer Registries and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program SEER*Stat Database: NPCR and SEER Incidence – U.S. Cancer Statistics 2001–2021 Public Use Research Database, 2023 submission (2001–2021), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute. Released June 2024. Available at www.cdc.gov/united-states-cancer-statistics/public-use/.

Central cancer registries by supporting program

NPCR funds 50 cancer registries: 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Pacific Island Jurisdictions, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The SEER program collects and publishes data on cancer incidence and survival from population-based cancer registries in 22 U.S. geographic areas.