THE PREVALENCE OF CANCER AMONG ADULTS IN THE UNITED-STATES - 1987

No national data exist on the prevalence of cancer in the United State s population. The authors report the first estimates of prevalence rat es of cancer from a population-based sample of the adult population of the United States. Estimates are based on responses collected from th e Cancer Control Supplements of the National Health Interview Survey, a population-based sample survey of all people older than 17 years of age in the United States in 1987. Of 44,123 adults questioned, 1593 sa id they had a nonskin cancer. In 1987, after adjustments, the overall prevalence rate of all types of cancer, excluding nonmelanoma skin can cer, was 3230 per 100,000 adults; the rates for men and women were 193 0 and 4412, respectively. The authors estimate that, in 1987, 5.7 mill ion adults in the United States were survivors of nonskin cancer, 3.3% of the adult population. Approximately 89,000 adults had cancer durin g childhood, or 1.6% of the total. Approximately 3.6 million people we re at least 5-year survivors and 900,000 adults had their disease diag nosed during the year before interview. Despite the potential for unde rreporting and misclassification, these national estimates are in gene ral accord with figures estimated from other sources. Increasing survi val after cancer, especially childhood and adolescent cancer, indicate s the importance of continued monitoring to provide information needed to plan for adequate services.