Leukemia Statistics
The trend for leukemia survival is improving, thanks to research efforts and the approval of new, effective therapies to treat leukemia. In researching leukemia, you may encounter different statistics related to survival, incidence, and outcomes for specific treatments. Since leukemia is different in every patient, we encourage you to discuss your specific disease and prognosis with your doctor.
Understanding survival rates
When looking at statistics, it’s important to understand that statistics cannot and do not tell you what will happen to you — they can tell you only what has happened to others. How relevant the statistics are for you depends on how similar those other patients are to you, including age, race, leukemia subtype, and types of treatment received.
- There are several ways of measuring survival. It’s common for cancer statistics to describe survival in terms of five-year relative survival. This refers to the number of individuals still living five years after being diagnosed with leukemia.
- The five-year relative survival rate includes all individuals diagnosed with leukemia. It includes everyone who received treatment, as well as everyone who did not.
- A number of factors, including your age, the stage of your disease, and your particular leukemia subtype, can have a significant impact on your prognosis. However, none of these factors can conclusively predict your prognosis because leukemia is different in every patient.
Below are key statistics and the five-year survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. For additional disease information, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, view our ALL webpage.
- About 54% of acute lymphoblastic leukemia occurs in children and teens under age 20.
- It is most common before age 15 and after 50.
- In 2022, it is estimated that there will be 6,660 new cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
- As of 2018 (most recent available), the five-year relative survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia is 71%.1
Source: All statistics are extracted from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.
1 Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.
Below are key statistics and the five-year survival rate for acute myeloid leukemia. For additional disease information, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, view our AML webpage.
- Acute myeloid leukemia is a rare blood cancer, accounting for 1% of all new cancer cases.
- The median age at diagnosis is 68.
- Relapse (return of cancer after remission) affects 50% of people with AML.
- As of 2018 (most recent available), the five-year relative survival rate for acute myeloid leukemia is 31%.1
Source: All statistics are extracted from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.
1 Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.
Below are key statistics and the five-year survival rate for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. For additional disease information, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, view our CLL webpage.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is more common in adults and more common among men than women, particularly white men.
- CLL is most frequently diagnosed among people aged 65–74.
- The median age at diagnosis is 70.
- As of 2018 (most recent available), the five-year relative survival rate for CLL is around 88%.1
Source: All statistics are extracted from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.
1 Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.
Below are key statistics and the five-year survival rate for chronic myeloid leukemia. For additional disease information, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, view our CML webpage.
- Chronic myeloid leukemia represents about 15% of all leukemia in adults.
- The median age at diagnosis is 65.
- Cases of CML are extremely rare in children.
- As of 2018 (most recent available), the five-year relative survival rate for CML is about 70%.1
Source: All statistics are extracted from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.
1 Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.
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