A 2025 Gallup analysis found that 21.5% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older reported having been told by a doctor or nurse that they had cancer, compared with nearly 9% of U.S. adults aged 45 to 64.
January 01, 2025
high
temporal
Age-stratified lifetime self-reported cancer diagnosis prevalence from Gallup's 2024-2025 data.
Gallup's 2025 analysis found that the share of U.S. adults aged 65 and older reporting a lifetime cancer diagnosis increased by 3.4 percentage points between the 2008-2009 period and the 2024-2025 period.
January 01, 2025
high
temporal
Change in lifetime self-reported cancer diagnosis prevalence for the 65+ age group across Gallup's multi-year averages.
Gallup reported that the share of U.S. adults aged 65 and older who had been diagnosed with cancer rose by 3.4 percentage points between the 2008-2009 period and 2024-2025, reaching 21.5% in 2024-2025.
January 01, 2025
high
temporal
Age-specific lifetime diagnosis rates from Gallup's 2008-2009 baseline compared with 2024-2025 estimates.