The deadliest cancer types include lung cancer, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer. However, assessing the most aggressive types depends on many factors including the stage of cancer at diagnosis, the treatment you receive, and any genetic variations of the cancer.
After heart disease, cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates 2 million new cases of cancer overall in 2024 and 1,680 cancer deaths per day.
The cancers below are listed as the overall deadliest cancers because they have the most deaths per year. Keep in mind that the number of estimated deaths can vary between males and females.
For example, liver cancers are a top 5 fatal cancer in males but not females. Breast cancer is the No. 2 fatal cancer for females (it's the top cause in Black females) and uterine cancer is in the top 5.
![closeup of girl holding ill grandmother's hand](https://www.verywellhealth.com/thmb/rsQaRNGqTTGspGtHj_i20KcAAfg=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/GettyImages-1352063892-c55918b91091463d9232cc00bde53647.jpg)
Justin Paget / Getty Images
1. Lung Cancer
Estimated new cases of lung and bronchus cancer in 2024: 234,580
Estimated deaths caused by lung and bronchus cancer in 2024: 125,070
Many people with lung cancer are diagnosed when the disease is already at an advanced stage. That means it's more likely they will eventually die of the disease. Smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer.
The disease is divided into two types—small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Depending on the type and stage, treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy.
2. Colorectal Cancer
Estimated cases of colorectal cancer in 2024: 152,810
Estimated deaths caused by colon cancer in 2024: 53,010
At first, colorectal cancer causes few or no symptoms. If caught early, it's treatable and has good five-year survival rates. Five-year survival rates measure how many people with the condition are still living five years after they were diagnosed. However, it's important to remember that these statistics don't always reflect new trends or treatments, or an individual prognosis (outlook).
The survival rate for people with localized, early-stage colorectal cancer is around 91%. But early detection accounts for just one in three cases, and five-year survival rates for advanced colorectal cancer are much lower. Keep in mind that these cancers are on the rise in younger people.
A colonoscopy can detect and treat colon cancer in its early stages. A colonoscopy uses a tiny camera on a thin, flexible tube to check for signs of cancer in your colon.
Small, early-stage cancers may be removed during a colonoscopy. Larger tumors usually call for surgery. Sometimes it is combined with chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, and/or immunotherapy. These treatments shrink tumors and limit their spread.
3. Pancreatic Cancer
Estimated cases of pancreatic cancer in 2024: 66,440
Estimated deaths caused by pancreatic cancer in 2024: 51,750
Pancreatic cancer is aggressive. It often kills quickly and causes painful symptoms like:
- Stomach pain
- Blocked bile ducts, which are the tubes that carry digestive fluids out of the liver
- Bleeding
- Ascites, which is fluid buildup in your abdomen
People with this type of cancer often need surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation can be used to shrink tumors when they can't be removed. Surgery to cure pancreatic cancer is only possible in 10% to 20% of cases.
There aren't any reliable screening options for pancreatic cancer yet. People with higher risk should have regular ultrasound and MRI/CT imaging tests.
4. Breast Cancer
Estimated cases of invasive female breast cancer in 2024: 310,720
Estimated deaths caused by female breast cancer in 2024: 42,250
Estimated cases of male breast cancer in 2024: 2,790
Estimated deaths caused by male breast cancer in 2023: 530
Breast cancer is caused by cancer cells in the lining of the lobules or ducts of the breast. It accounts for about 30% of new cancer cases in females each year. Less than 1% of all breast cancers affect men.
Typically, it takes time for cells to become fully malignant and invade other body tissues. When found early, breast cancer is very treatable. The five-year relative survival rate for localized breast cancer is 99%. Localized means there's no sign that cancer has spread outside of the breast. People with localized breast cancer are almost as likely to survive for at least five years as people without the condition.
Black women often experience breast cancer diagnosis at a later stage. Lesbian and bisexual females also face a higher risk of breast cancer overall, with transgender males at higher risk than other men.
Breast cancer treatments vary. Surgery can be extensive (mastectomy) or breast-conserving (lumpectomy).
In addition to breast surgery, the disease can be treated with:
- Radiation therapy, which uses protons or X-rays to kill cancer cells
- Chemotherapy, which uses medications to treat cancer
- Hormone therapy, which slows or stops the growth of tumors that respond to specific hormones like estrogen
- Biological therapies, which use your own immune system to treat cancer
- Targeted therapies, which kill specific cancer cells or stop them from growing
5. Prostate Cancer
Estimated cases of prostate cancer in 2024: 299,010
Estimated deaths caused by prostate cancer in 2024: 35,250
Prostate cancer starts in a gland found between the rectum and bladder in males. It is considered an adenocarcinoma. It usually affects older men and is more common among Black men and those with a family history of the disease.
Most prostate cancers grow slowly. People with this type of cancer may not have symptoms right away. For this reason, doctors may take a wait-and-watch approach to treatment. In fact, many people with prostate cancer die of unrelated causes, like a heart attack or stroke. The five-year relative survival rate of localized prostate cancer is greater than 99%.
Treatment of prostate cancer includes:
- Prostatectomy, which involves surgical removal of part or all of the gland
- External beam radiation therapy
- Brachytherapy (radioactive iodine is implanted into the prostate)
Older men were once routinely screened for prostate cancer using digital rectal exam and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, even if they had no symptoms. Today, many experts question the value of prostate screening, and most guidelines say it's an individual's decision.
The Fastest-Killing Cancer
If defining "fastest-killing" cancer is based on which cancer has the worst five-year relative survival rate, then the focus would be on cancers like glioblastoma, pancreatic cancer, and malignant mesothelioma (a relatively rare cancer in the U.S. with about 3,000 cases a year).
However, there are some differences in survival rates for these two cancers, depending on the stage of cancer when it's diagnosed. Malignant mesothelioma that has metastasized (spread) has a five-year survival rate of 7%. It's just 3% for pancreatic cancer with a distant spread and 6.8% in adults diagnosed with glioblastoma.
Keep in mind:
- These survival rates don't apply later on (after diagnosis) if the cancer grows, spreads, or comes back after treatment.
- Treatments improve over time, and these numbers are based on people who were diagnosed and treated at least five years earlier.
Summary
Most of the time, the deadliest cancers are common to all people who are diagnosed, but they can vary. For example, lung cancer proves fatal more than any other cancer type, but since 2019 breast cancer has been more deadly than lung cancer in Black women. Breast cancer also claims far fewer fatalities among males, who face a greater risk of prostate and liver cancers than females do.
Keep in mind that five-year survival rates are based on past data, and they don't always reflect current trends or advances in care. Talk to your healthcare provider about your specific situation if facing a difficult prognosis due to cancers of the pancreas, colon, or another site.