Cancer survival rates have reached a major new milestone, as 70% people now survive five years+ after diagnosis of all cancers

Good news!

"... in the 1970s, just half of those diagnosed survived that length of time."

"The American Cancer Society (ACS) today released Cancer Statistics, 2026, the organization’s annual report on cancer facts and trends. The new findings show, for the first time, the five-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined reached 70% for people diagnosed during 2015-2021 in the United States.

Survival gains since the mid-1990s are especially notable for people diagnosed with more fatal cancers, such as myeloma (from 32% to 62%), liver cancer (7% to 22%), and lung cancer (15% to 28%).  ..."

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ACS Annual Statistics Report: Milestone 70 Percent 5-Year Survival Rate for all Cancers Combined; Largest Gains for Advanced and Fatal Cancers (original news release) "This report marks the 75th year American Cancer Society researchers have analyzed and disseminated cancer data to help improve public health"

Cancer statistics, 2026 (open access)

FIGURE 1

Leading cancer types of estimated new cancer cases and deaths by sex, United States, 2026.

FIGURE 2

Trends in cancer incidence (1975–2022) and mortality (1975–2023) rates by sex, United States.