Imagine being diagnosed with cancer today versus 30 years ago. The journey is still hard, but the odds are profoundly better. That progress is captured in the American Cancer Society’s latest annual report, “State of the Union” on cancer in the US. which shows US cancer death rates continuing a decades-long decline.
This year, 2026, approximately 2.1 million new cancer cases and 626,140 cancer deaths are projected. But there’s real hope. Cancer death rates are steadily declining. Since 1991, 4.8 million deaths have been averted. Why? Three big reasons are that fewer people are smoking, cancer is being detected earlier, and treatments are improving.
US Cancer Death Rates Survival Revolution
A big milestone is that the overall 5-year relative survival rate for cancer has now reached 70% during the years 2015-2021. But the real story is in the details.
According to ACS data, survival has increased across the board:
- Overall: From 63% (in the mid-1990s) to 70% today.
- Regional stage: From 54% to 69%.
- Distant-stage (metastatic): From 17% to 35% (this is huge progress).
Some of the most impressive gains have been in difficult cancers like myeloma (32% to 62%) and metastatic melanoma (16% to 35%).
The historical survival data, covering the periods 1975–1977 and 1995–1997, are derived from the SEER 8 regions, along with the Detroit metropolitan area. This data has been previously published and serves as a reliable reference for long-term survival analysis.
Behind These Survival Improvements
Cancer survival has improved over the past few years for several reasons. When it is easier to treat, better screening tests and imaging tools help doctors find cancer earlier. New treatments, like targeted medicines, immunotherapy, and more accurate radiation therapy, have also helped patients live longer, even with cancers that were once very hard to treat.
Continuous Intervals and Inequalities
Even though cancer survival has improved overall, not everyone has benefited equally. Survival rates are still different by race, stage at diagnosis, and type of cancer.
For example, Black patients often have lower survival rates for some major cancers than White patients. When the cancer is found at the same stage. These differences show that access to healthcare, income, and other social factors still affect outcomes. This highlights the need for better and more targeted public health efforts.
Why Relative Survival Matters
Relative survival is useful because it looks only at deaths. Which was caused by cancer, not other reasons. This helps experts compare cancer survival across different years and groups of people.
When death records are missing or unclear. Researchers and health planners can better understand how well prevention, screening, and treatments are really working by focusing on cancer survival alone.
Improvement in Survival
Survival rates are continuing to improve. For advanced and aggressive cancers, this shows real progress. However, further improvement depends on better access to early diagnosis and faster use of new treatments.
It reduces differences in care that affect some groups more than others. Tracking survival trends helps us understand where progress is happening and where more action is still needed.
Rising Lung Cancer
Even with these improvements, lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths. In 2026, it will cause more deaths than colorectal and pancreatic cancer combined, mainly because it is often found late. However, there is hope. Survival rates for regional lung cancer (20% to 37%) have almost doubled, and survival for advanced lung cancer has increased from 2% to 10%.
Looming Threats to Progress
The report ends with a warning. The progress made so far is necessary but not secure. Cuts to cancer research funding could slow down new discoveries. At the same time, changes to health insurance policies could reduce access to cancer screenings and treatments that help people survive.
Also read: Who first noticed and researched skin cancer?
Years of research and better medical care are a primary reason US cancer death rates have continued to fall. However, this progress will not continue on its own. To save more lives, we must support cancer research and make sure everyone can get proper care. Strong policies and public support help turn medical science into better survival for all.
Download its Summary PDF
Cancer Statistics, 2026: Detailed Summary of Cancer Statistics
Reference
Cancer statistics, 2026 by PubMed
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