According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, about one in five people will develop cancer during their lifetime. With over 100 different types of cancer, each with potentially multiple subtypes featuring distinct underlying biology and prognoses, treatment options are highly individualized. These options may include surgery, radiotherapy, drug treatment (including chemotherapy and targeted therapy), or active surveillance. Oncologists consider the patient’s health, clinical evidence, and treatment goals before deciding the best course of action. As a result, two patients with the same type of cancer may receive very different treatments.
Figure 1 shows crude global cure rates for the 23 most common cancer types. This rate is defined as the average number of patients receiving drug treatment at any time in 2022, divided by the estimated prevalence of the disease. Both patient count measures can be found in IQVIA’s Oncology link. It is important to note that patients not on drug treatment may receive other types of treatment or have no detectable cancer, but are not yet considered “cured.”
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