Leukemia Statistics in US 2026 | Key Facts

Leukemia in the US 2026

Leukemia, a cancer of the blood-forming tissues including bone marrow and the lymphatic system, represents a significant health challenge in the United States, affecting both children and adults across all demographics. According to the American Cancer Society’s most recent projections, approximately 66,890 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the United States in 2025, including 22,010 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 23,690 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 6,660 cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and 8,930 cases of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). An estimated 23,540 people will die from leukemia in 2025, making it a leading cause of cancer mortality. Leukemia accounts for approximately 4.1% of all new cancer cases and 3.8% of all cancer deaths in the United States. Despite being the most common cancer diagnosed in children—representing 25.7% of all pediatric cancers—leukemia occurs far more frequently in older adults, with approximately 60% of new cases diagnosed in individuals aged 65 and older.

The landscape of leukemia in the US 2026 has been marked by both progress and persistent challenges. The overall death rate from leukemia has been declining at an average of 1.8% per year over 2014-2023, reflecting significant advances in treatment including targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and stem cell transplantation. However, incidence trends vary substantially by leukemia subtype and demonstrate concerning patterns. While overall age-adjusted incidence rates have been falling by 0.5% per year over 2013-2022, this masks important subtype-specific trends: chronic lymphocytic leukemia incidence has been declining 0.9% annually, while acute leukemias have been rising in adults since 1975. Prevalence data reveals that approximately 536,245 people were living with leukemia in the United States as of 2022, reflecting improved survival but also substantial long-term care needs. The 5-year relative survival rate for all leukemias combined stands at approximately 66%, though this varies dramatically from near 90% for childhood ALL and 87% for CML to just 31% for AML. These leukemia statistics in the US 2026 underscore both remarkable therapeutic progress for certain subtypes and urgent need for breakthrough treatments for the most aggressive forms.

Key Interesting Facts About Leukemia in the US 2026

Data Sources: American Cancer Society Cancer Statistics 2025, National Cancer Institute SEER Program 2025, Blood Cancer United Facts & Statistics 2025

The statistics above reveal both the substantial burden and remarkable progress in leukemia treatment in the US 2026. With 66,890 new cases and 23,540 deaths projected for 2025, leukemia continues to affect tens of thousands of Americans annually. The lifetime risk of 1.5% (approximately 1 in 67 people) means that leukemia will impact millions of Americans over their lifetimes. The presence of 536,245 leukemia survivors as of 2022 reflects significant improvements in treatment outcomes over recent decades, with many patients living for years or even achieving cure. The overall 5-year relative survival rate of 66% represents dramatic improvement from historical rates below 30% in the early 1970s, largely attributable to advances in chemotherapy regimens, targeted therapies, and supportive care.

However, these aggregate statistics mask important variations across leukemia subtypes and age groups. While childhood leukemia demonstrates an exceptional 91% 5-year survival rate—making it one of pediatric oncology’s greatest success stories—adult leukemias show more variable outcomes, with AML survival at 31% and CLL survival at 88%. The finding that leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, representing 25.7% of all pediatric malignancies, highlights the disease’s disproportionate impact on children despite its overall higher frequency in older adults. Trend data shows encouraging declining mortality at 1.8% per year, though the more modest decline in incidence at 0.5% per year and the rising rates of acute leukemias in adults suggest that prevention and early detection efforts have been less successful than treatment advances. The leukemia statistics in the US 2026 demonstrate that while significant progress has been achieved, particularly for childhood leukemias and chronic forms, substantial challenges remain in improving outcomes for aggressive adult leukemias and addressing disparities in access to cutting-edge therapies.

New Cases and Deaths by Leukemia Type in the US 2026

Historical Comparison (1998-2018 Trend):

Data Source: American Cancer Society Cancer Statistics 2025, NCI SEER Program 2025, Scientific Reports Population Analysis 2019

The distribution of new leukemia cases in the US 2026 reveals important patterns in disease burden across subtypes. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) represents the largest category with 23,690 projected cases in 2025, accounting for approximately 35.4% of all leukemias. As the most common leukemia in adults, CLL is characterized by slow progression and relatively favorable outcomes, reflected in its low case-fatality ratio of 18.8% (deaths relative to new cases). Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) follows closely with 22,010 projected cases (32.9%), but demonstrates much poorer outcomes with 11,090 projected deaths, translating to a case-fatality ratio of 50.4%—the highest among leukemia subtypes. This reflects AML’s aggressive nature, older age at diagnosis (median 69 years), and limited treatment options, with 50% of patients experiencing relapse even after initial remission.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) accounts for 8,930 cases (13.3%) with only 1,220 deaths (13.7% case-fatality), representing one of oncology’s great success stories. The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors like imatinib revolutionized CML treatment, transforming a once-fatal disease into a manageable chronic condition with 5-year survival rates approaching 90%. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) represents 6,660 cases (10.0%) with 1,560 deaths (23.4% case-fatality), reflecting excellent outcomes in children (who comprise about 54% of ALL cases) but poorer prognosis in adults. Historical trend data from 1998-2018 reveals dramatic increases across all subtypes: CLL cases surged 187%, AML increased 108%, CML rose 96%, and ALL grew 92%. These increases substantially exceed population growth and reflect both aging demographics (as leukemia risk increases dramatically with age) and potentially improved detection, though true incidence increases cannot be excluded. The leukemia statistics in the US 2026 demonstrate that while all subtypes contribute to overall burden, the combination of high incidence and poor outcomes makes AML the deadliest form, accounting for 47.1% of leukemia deaths despite representing only 32.9% of cases.

Age-Specific Incidence and Survival Rates in the US 2026

Data Source: NCI SEER Program 2018-2022, American Cancer Society 2025, Blood Cancer United 2025, Pediatric Oncology Studies 2024-2025

The age-specific patterns of leukemia incidence and survival in the US 2026 reveal dramatic disparities across the lifespan, with both very young children and older adults facing substantially different disease biology and outcomes. Childhood leukemia demonstrates a distinct bimodal peak, with highest incidence in the ages 0-4 group at 5.6 per 100,000, declining through middle childhood, then rising again during adolescence. The 91% 5-year survival rate for childhood leukemia overall represents one of pediatric medicine’s greatest triumphs, with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)—which comprises 83% of pediatric leukemias—showing particularly excellent outcomes with cure rates exceeding 90%. Children aged 5-9 years demonstrate the best survival at 93-94%, while adolescents aged 15-19 experience a concerning decline to 74-76%, reflecting the transition to more adult-like leukemia biology.

The picture changes dramatically in adults, where both incidence and mortality rise steeply with advancing age while survival outcomes worsen progressively. Young adults aged 20-29 have leukemia incidence rates of only 2.9 per 100,000 but already show substantially worse 5-year survival of 52-59% for ALL and 45-55% for AML compared to pediatric patients. By middle age (40-49 years), incidence increases to 7.2 per 100,000 with AML survival declining to 40-45%. The most dramatic increases occur in older adults: incidence reaches 26.8 per 100,000 in the 60-69 age group, 42.5 per 100,000 in the 70-79 age group, and peaks at 45.3 per 100,000 in those aged 80+. Tragically, AML 5-year survival plummets to 15-20% in the 60-69 age group, 8-12% in the 70-79 age group, and below 5% for those 80+. The leukemia statistics in the US 2026 demonstrate that age represents the single strongest predictor of both leukemia risk and survival, with approximately 60% of new cases diagnosed in individuals aged 65 and older who face the poorest outcomes despite representing the majority of the disease burden.

Survival Rates by Leukemia Type in the US 2026

Data Source: NCI SEER Program 2015-2021, American Cancer Society 2025, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society 2025

The survival outcomes for leukemia in the US 2026 vary extraordinarily across subtypes, ranging from near-curative to fatal within months. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) demonstrates the most favorable survival among common leukemias, with 5-year relative survival of 88% and 10-year survival of 79%, reflecting the indolent nature of the disease in many patients and significant therapeutic advances including BTK inhibitors and BCL-2 inhibitors. Many CLL patients, particularly those diagnosed at early stages (Rai stage 0-I), live for decades without requiring treatment, following a “watch and wait” approach. However, outcomes vary substantially by prognostic factors including age, Rai/Binet stage, IGHV mutation status, cytogenetics (particularly del(17p) and del(11q)), and TP53 mutations.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) shows similarly excellent survival with 5-year rates of 87% and 10-year rates of 82%, representing one of oncology’s most dramatic success stories. Before the introduction of imatinib (Gleevec) in 2001, median survival for CML was approximately 3-5 years with few long-term survivors. The advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) transformed CML from an inevitably fatal disease to a manageable chronic condition, with patients achieving deep molecular responses and life expectancies approaching those of the general population. However, approximately 20-30% of patients develop resistance or intolerance to first-line TKI therapy, requiring second or third-generation agents, and progression to blast crisis remains uniformly fatal. The leukemia statistics in the US 2026 reveal that while chronic leukemias now offer excellent survival prospects, acute leukemias continue to pose formidable challenges, with AML’s 31% 5-year survival and ALL’s 45-55% adult survival highlighting the urgent need for breakthrough therapies in these aggressive malignancies.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Leukemia Outcomes in the US 2026

Data Source: SEER Program Analysis 2009-2019, Blood Advances 2025, University of Maryland Study 2025, Hematology Advisor 2025, ASH Meeting 2025

Racial and ethnic disparities in leukemia outcomes in the US 2026 remain profound and persistent despite decades of awareness and modest interventions. Comprehensive analysis of 329,008 patients with hematologic malignancies from 2009-2019 found that Black patients had significantly lower median overall survival (90 months vs 99 months), lower 5-year relative survival rates (66.6% vs 69.6%), and higher cumulative incidence rates of cancer-specific mortality compared to White patients. For acute myeloid leukemia specifically, disparities are particularly striking. Recent data shows that between 2014-2018, 2-year survival rates were only 28.6% for Black patients compared to 35.8% for White patients and 35.6% for Hispanic patients—a 7.2 percentage point gap. While improvements occurred between 2019-2022, with Black patient survival increasing dramatically to 45.3%, White and Hispanic survival remained relatively flat at 39.9% and 34.3% respectively, suggesting some narrowing of disparities but persistent differences.

The most concerning findings relate to both biological and structural factors driving these disparities. University of Maryland researchers analyzing 10 ECOG-ACRIN clinical trials from 1984-2019 found that Black patients with AML were diagnosed at a median age of 47.9 years compared to 53.5 years for White patients—5.6 years younger—yet experienced 31.3% higher risk of dying from AML and 21.2% higher risk of dying from any cause. Among patients with NPM1 mutations (typically associated with favorable outcomes), Black patients had median survival of only 8.9 months compared to 19.1 months for White patients—less than half the survival time despite identical genetic profiles. Access to curative therapies shows stark inequities: only 37% of Black patients received allogeneic stem cell transplants from matched unrelated donors compared to 49% of White patients, a 12 percentage point gap in access to the treatment offering best chance of cure for high-risk AML. Clinical trial enrollment remains devastatingly low, with Black patients representing only 1-11% of participants across trials despite comprising 13% of the US population. The leukemia statistics in the US 2026 demonstrate that these disparities reflect complex interactions between tumor biology, socioeconomic factors including insurance coverage and access to specialized centers, implicit bias in clinical decision-making, and structural racism embedded in healthcare delivery systems.

Treatment Approaches and Costs in the US 2026

Data Source: American Cancer Society 2025, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society 2025, Medicare Claims Data 2024-2025, FDA Approvals 2024-2025

The treatment landscape for leukemia in the US 2026 encompasses a spectrum of therapeutic approaches ranging from traditional intensive chemotherapy to cutting-edge cellular therapies, with costs varying from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. For acute leukemias (AML and ALL), treatment typically begins with intensive induction chemotherapy used in 70-80% of patients, costing $50,000-$150,000 and achieving complete remission in 60-80% of cases. However, remission without further therapy inevitably leads to relapse, necessitating consolidation chemotherapy ($30,000-$80,000 per cycle) and, for high-risk patients, allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Transplant represents the most intensive and expensive intervention, costing $400,000-$800,000, with profound immunosuppression, prolonged hospitalization, and risk of graft-versus-host disease, but offers the only curative option for 25-30% of AML and ALL patients with high-risk features.

Chronic leukemias have been transformed by targeted therapies that spare patients from toxic chemotherapy while achieving superior outcomes. For chronic myeloid leukemia, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) like imatinib, dasatinib, nilotinib, and newer agents are used in over 95% of patients, costing $120,000-$180,000 annually but providing life expectancies approaching normal when deep molecular responses are achieved. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment has evolved from chemotherapy to novel targeted agents including BTK inhibitors (ibrutinib, acalabrutinib) used in 40-50% of patients at $150,000-$180,000 yearly and BCL-2 inhibitors (venetoclax) used in 30-40% at $180,000-$220,000 yearly, often in combination regimens. The most revolutionary—and expensive—therapy is CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory ALL, currently used in under 5% of patients but costing $373,000-$475,000 for the one-time infusion plus substantial hospitalization and supportive care costs. The leukemia statistics in the US 2026 reveal that while therapeutic options have expanded dramatically, the financial toxicity of leukemia treatment poses substantial burden, with many patients facing bankruptcy, treatment non-adherence, or premature treatment discontinuation due to cost.

Economic Burden of Leukemia Treatment in the US 2026

Data Source: PMC Economic Burden Studies 2017-2025, Journal of Clinical Oncology CLL Economics 2017, Frontiers in Public Health Global Burden 2025

The economic burden of leukemia treatment in the US 2026 is staggering and rapidly escalating, driven primarily by the introduction of expensive targeted therapies and cellular immunotherapies. For acute myeloid leukemia, analysis of commercial insurance claims reveals that total mean episode costs are highest for relapsed/refractory disease at $439,104, followed by stem cell transplantation at $329,621, and intensive induction chemotherapy at $198,657.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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