Survival Rate & Statistics

Orange ribbon of leukemia spreads awareness

The National Cancer Institute Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Review estimated that in 2010 around 43,050 new cases will be diagnosed with some form of leukemia and that 21,840 of those people in the United States will die from leukemia. Although these numbers seem high, it is important to note that survival rates have improved considerably from the past. With early detection and appropriate treatment, it is still possible to survive a long life. The overall 5-year relative survival for 1999-2006 from 17 different geographic areas was 54.1%. A breakdown by race and gender showed that the relative survival rate was 54.6% for white males, 54.2% for white females, 46.8% for black males, and 46.2% for black females. In the United States, a 2003-2007 review estimated that the middle age of death for leukemia was 74 years of age.

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