Cancer Rates: A Mixed Bag of Progress and Challenges

Key Highlights:

• Five-year survival rate now at 70%, up from 50% in the mid-1970s.
• Liver cancer survival rate tripled from 7% in the 1990s to 22% in 2023.
• Lung cancer and myeloma survival rates also show notable increases.

Challenges Remain

• Deadliest cancers: Lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer still pose significant risks.
• Estimated 2.1 million new cancer cases in 2026, averaging 5,800 diagnoses per day.

Early Detection Saves Lives

• Screening mammograms starting at age 40 have led to earlier detection of breast cancer.
• Decrease in illness and death rates from breast cancer due to early detection.

Personalized Treatments Make a Difference

• Targeted therapy and immunotherapy tailored to individual patient needs.
• Reduced side effects and improved outcomes with personalized treatments.

Cancer Remains a Leading Cause of Death

• Estimated 626,140 deaths from cancer in the U.S. in 2026.
• 1,720 deaths per day, with lung cancer being the leading cause.

Progress in Cancer Death Rates

• 34% drop in cancer death rate since its peak in 1991.
• 4.8 million cancer deaths prevented as of 2023.
• Lung cancer deaths dropped by 62% for men since 1990 and 38% for women since 2002.

Conclusion

• Significant progress in cancer survival rates.
• Continued research, early detection, and personalized treatments are key to further improvements.