For the first time in history, seven in ten people now live at least five years after their cancer diagnosis, marking an extraordinary milestone that the American Cancer Society announced represents decades of progress in the fight against this devastating disease. The groundbreaking 70 percent five year survival rate stands in stark contrast to the grim reality of the 1970s, when less than half of cancer patients would survive five years after diagnosis, showing just how far medical science has advanced in a relatively short time. Dr. William Dahut, the American Cancer Society’s chief scientific officer, credits lower tobacco use, increased early detection screenings, and dramatically improved therapies as the main factors driving these rising survival rates that are giving millions of people hope for their futures. Survival rates have improved most dramatically for people diagnosed with some of the historically deadliest cancers, including myeloma and liver and lung cancers, proving that even the most challenging diagnoses are becoming more survivable with modern medicine.
While the mortality rate continues to decline, the American Cancer Society projects that over 2 million people will receive cancer diagnoses in 2026 alone, with 5,800 new diagnoses happening every single day across the country. The report also revealed troubling disparities, as Native American people and Black communities continue to face higher rates of both cancer diagnosis and death due to a combination of access barriers and biological differences that require targeted attention and research. The American Cancer Society is calling for continued federal funding for cancer research, warning that threats to research budgets and health insurance access could reverse this incredible progress and stall future breakthroughs that could save even more lives in the decades ahead.
