More People Living Longer With Cancer

More Americans are surviving cancer longer than ever before, according to a new annual report from the American Cancer Society. For the first time in history, seven in 10 people — about 70 percent — now live at least five years after being diagnosed with cancer.

“Seven in 10 people now survive their cancer five years or more, up from only half in the mid-70s,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director of surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report. “This stunning victory is largely the result of decades of cancer research that provided clinicians with the tools to treat the disease more effectively, turning many cancers from a death sentence into a chronic disease.”

ABC News reports that survival has also improved for several of the more deadly cancers, including lung and liver cancer, as well as melanoma.

The report notes that the overall cancer death rate has continued to decline through 2023. Mortality has dropped 34% since its peak in 1991, and researchers estimate that progress has helped avert about 4.8 million cancer deaths.

However, the report also highlights a concerning trend: cancer incidence is rising for several common types, including breast, prostate, liver cancer in women, melanoma in women, oral cavity, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers.

Experts say these patterns likely reflect the impact of an aging population, along with improvements in early detection and diagnosis. Ongoing research and prevention efforts are expected to further improve outcomes in the years ahead.

Looking ahead, the American Cancer Society estimates that in 2026 there will be about 2,114,850 new cancer diagnoses in the United States — roughly 5,800 each day. The organization projects that 626,140 Americans will die from cancer that year.

The ACS is urging continued investment in cancer research to sustain the progress.

“For decades, the federal government has been the largest funder of cancer research, which has translated to longer lives for people with even the most fatal cancers,” said Shane Jacobson, CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

 “But now, threats to cancer research funding and significant impact to access to health insurance could reverse this progress and stall future breakthroughs. We can’t stop now. There is still much work to be done.”