Cancer A Closer Look at the Top 5 Deadliest Cancers By Naveed Saleh, MD, MS twitter linkedin Naveed Saleh, MD, MS, is a medical writer and editor covering new treatments and trending health news. Learn about our editorial process Naveed Saleh, MD, MS Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Doru Paul, MD on November 01, 2019 Doru Paul, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hematology. Learn about our Medical Review Board Doru Paul, MD Updated on December 05, 2019 Print Cancer cells divide, grow and spread throughout the body. If physicians are unable to control the spread or metastases of cancer cells, death results. Various factors, both internal and external, cause cancer. Internal factors include genetic mutations, hormones, and immune conditions. External factors include smoking, unhealthy diet, and infectious disease. Often, it takes several years before such risk factors lead to cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2020, an estimated 1.8 million new cases of cancer were expected among Americans, and 606,520 people will die of the disease. Here are the five deadliest cancers. 1 Lung Cancer Science Photo Library/Getty Images Projected cases of lung and bronchus cancer in 2019: 228,150Projected deaths caused by lung and bronchus cancer in 2019: 142,670 Unfortunately, most people with lung cancer initially present with advanced disease and will eventually die of the disease. Smoking—a modifiable risk factor—is far and away from the most common cause of lung cancer. Based on microscopic examination, lung cancer is divided into two types—small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Depending on the type and stage of lung cancer, treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Lung Cancer 2 Colorectal Cancer Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen/Getty Images Projected cases of colorectal cancer in 2019: 145,600Projected deaths caused by colon cancer in 2019: 51,020 Initially, colorectal cancer presents with few or no symptoms. If caught early, colorectal cancer is treatable with encouraging five-year survival rates. For example, survival rates for some people with early-stage colorectal cancer are around 90%. However, in order to survive colorectal cancer, screening like colonoscopy is imperative. Unfortunately, five-year survival rates for advanced colorectal cancer are much lower. Depending on the stage and spread of colorectal cancer, treatment can include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or embolization. Colon Cancer vs. Colorectal Cancer 3 Breast Cancer Vasyl Dolmatov/Getty Images Projected cases of breast cancer in 2019: 268,600Projected deaths caused by breast cancer in 2019: 41,760 Breast cancer is caused by the malignant growth of cells lining the lobules or ducts of the breast. About 1% of all breast cancers affect men. Breast cancer arises from a clone or a single transformed cell. Typically, it takes time for such clonal cells to become fully malignant and invade and metastasize. The treatment of breast cancer can get quite complicated and is based on numerous factors. Broadly, breast cancer treatment can be characterized as extensive (mastectomy) or breast-conserving (lumpectomy). In addition to local surgical therapy, adjuvant or systemic therapy is also given to treat people with breast cancer. Such adjuvant therapy can include chemotherapy or hormone therapy. Fortunately, with improvements in diagnostic and treatment capabilities, more people who are diagnosed with breast cancer survive. How Breast Cancer Is Treated 4 Pancreatic Cancer magicmine/Getty Images Projected cases of pancreatic cancer in 2019: 56,770Projected deaths caused by pancreatic cancer in 2019: 45,750 Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers in existence. It kills quickly and besets the patient with multiple painful and dangerous symptoms including stomach pain, biliary obstruction, bleeding, ascites, and more. Despite research into the subject, there are no reliable screening options or treatments for people with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic Cancer 5 Prostate Cancer Chinnapong/Getty Images Projected cases of prostate cancer in 2019: 174,650Projected deaths caused by prostate cancer in 2019: 31,620 The prostate is a gland found in the male genitourinary system. It sits in the middle of the lower pelvis nestled among the rectum and bladder. The prostate makes the seminal fluid which nourishes sperm. Prostate cancer arises from glandular cells and is thus an adenocarcinoma. This disease usually affects older men and is most common among African Americans and those with a family history of the disease. Most prostate cancers are slow-growing, and people with asymptomatic prostate cancer are usually observed with no further treatment. In fact, many people with prostate cancer die of unrelated causes like a heart attack or stroke. Although asymptomatic older men were once routinely screened for prostate cancer by both digital rectal exam and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, in recent years, routine screening has fallen out of favor among many medical experts. Medicare still covers prostate cancer screening, but many experts believe that benefits from such screening are negligible. Treatment of prostate cancer includes surgical removal (prostatectomy), external beam radiation therapy (radiotherapy), and brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is a procedure in which radioactive iodine is implanted into the prostate. An Overview of Prostate Cancer Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Limiting processed foods and red meats can help ward off cancer risk. These recipes focus on antioxidant-rich foods to better protect you and your loved ones. Sign up and get your guide! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Cancer Society. Cancer facts and figures 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lung cancer. What are the risk factors? Updated September 18, 2019. Cancer.net. Colorectal cancer: Statistics. Updated November 2018. BreastCancer.org. U.S. breast cancer statistics. Updated February 13, 2019. Cancer.net. Pancreatic cancer: Statistics. Updated January 2019. American Cancer Society. Key statistics for prostate cancer. Updated August 1, 2019. Additional Reading American Cancer Society. Cancer facts and figures 2019. National Cancer Institute. Cancer stat facts: Lung and bronchus cancer.