Background With increasing global cancer survivorship, understanding differential trends by age at diagnosis is crucial for developing targeted care strategies. This study examines 27-year trends in early-onset (20–49 years) vs. late-onset (≥50 years) cancer survivorship in the US population. Methods We analyzed nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey (1997–2023), identifying adults surviving ≥5 years post-diagnosis. Weighted prevalence estimates were calculated, and temporal trends were analyzed using Joinpoint regression to compute average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Women represented 72.7% of early-onset cancer survivors, compared to 51.5% of late-onset cancer survivors. From 1997 to 2023, both prevalence of early-onset (AAPC 1.7, 95% CI: 1.4 to 2.0) and late-onset (AAPC 1.9, 95% CI: 1.7 to 2.1) cancer survivors increased significantly. The prevalence of male early-onset cancer survivors rose the most sharply (AAPC 3.1, 95% CI: 2.5 to 3.8), compared to prevalence of late-onset (AAPC 1.9, 95% CI: 1.6 to 2.3) or female cancer survivors (AAPC early-onset 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0 to 1.6; late-onset 1.7, 95% CI: 1.5 to 2.0). College-educated individuals had higher baseline prevalence and faster growth. Similarly, high-income groups showed elevated prevalence (early-onset 2.65%; late-onset 8.22%) and the most rapid increase was found in late-onset cancer survivors (AAPC 3.2, 95% CI: 2.5 to 3.9). Conclusion These findings demonstrate universal increases in cancer survivorship with distinct socioeconomic and gender patterns, highlighting the need for tailored survivorship programs and targeted policies to address emerging disparities in long-term cancer care.
Li et al. (Fri,) studied this question.