70% of Cancer Patients Now Live Five Years or More Thanks to Medical Advances

Cancer Cells

Cancer Survival Rates Reach 70% in America: Medical Advances Change the Lives of Millions

Cancer survival rates in the United States have reached a historic high, with the five-year survival rate (or higher) reaching 70% among patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2021, according to a recent report from the American Cancer Society (ACS).

According to the Cancer Statistics 2026 report, this achievement reflects decades of progress in medical research, improved early detection methods, and the development of treatments, in addition to declining smoking rates. These factors have contributed to preventing approximately 4.8 million cancer deaths in the United States between 1991 and 2023.

“Seven out of ten patients today survive cancer for five years or more, compared to only about half in the mid-1970s,” explained cancer epidemiologist Rebecca Siegel, lead author of the report, calling it “a remarkable scientific triumph.”

The greatest survival gains were recorded in advanced or metastatic cancers, where survival rates nearly doubled from 17% in the mid-1990s to 35% between 2015 and 2021, according to the report published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

Despite the overall improvement, the data showed significant variations in survival rates by type of cancer. The highest survival rates were recorded for thyroid and prostate cancers (98%), testicular cancer (95%), and melanoma (95%). Conversely, rates remained low for lung (28%), liver (22%), esophageal (22%), and pancreatic (13%) cancers, the latter of which remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

Disturbing Geographical and Racial Disparities

The report highlighted persistent health disparities linked to race and socioeconomic status. Native Americans had the highest cancer mortality rates, with death rates from kidney, liver, stomach, and cervical cancers nearly double those of white Americans.

Significant geographic disparities also emerged, with mortality rates ranging from 122 to 128 deaths per 100,000 people in states like Utah, Hawaii, and New York, compared to 178 to 180 deaths per 100,000 in states like West Virginia, Mississippi, and Kentucky. This reflects the impact of local health policies and unequal access to health insurance.

The report noted a significant decline in cancer deaths among children and adolescents, with child deaths falling by more than two-thirds since 1970, primarily due to substantial improvements in leukemia treatment.

However, researchers cautioned that advanced cancer diagnoses could rise in the coming years due to delays in screening during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for colorectal cancer, despite signs of a gradual recovery in screening rates.

Despite these positive findings, the American Cancer Society warned that this progress could be threatened by rising rates of some common cancers, such as breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancer, as well as concerns about research funding and access to healthcare. 

“We cannot afford to stop now,” said Shane Jacobson, CEO of the American Cancer Society. “Any reduction in research funding or health coverage could reverse this progress and delay future breakthroughs that we desperately need.”