- A new report shows the five-year survival rate for all cancers reached a historic 70%.
- About 2.1 million new cancer diagnoses expected in the U.S. in 2026.
- Early detection, better treatments and not smoking have helped increase survival.
The five-year survival rate for all cancers combined has reached a historic 70%, according to the latest American Cancer Society Cancer Statistics 2026 report, based on all people diagnosed between 2015 and 2021 in the U.S.
In the mid-1970s, fewer than half overall of those diagnosed with cancer were alive five years later. But survival rates vary a lot depending on a person’s age, the cancer type and its stage.
The researchers said better detection and treatment, augmented by a decrease in smoking, have been immensely helpful in reducing deaths due to cancer.
The report calls it particularly notable that the gains in how many people are still alive at least five years after diagnosis include some of the most lethal cancers. At the five-year mark, 62% of those diagnosed with myeloma are still alive, compared to 32% in the mid-1990s. The share of survivors has jumped to 22% from 7% for those with liver cancer and from 14% to 28% for those with lung cancer.
The findings are published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and included in the Cancer Facts & Figures 2026 at cancer.org.
According to the report, it is estimated that roughly 2.1 million new cancers will be diagnosed in 2026, including about 1.1 million in men and 1 million in women. The number doesn’t include basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers or in situ carcinoma, with the exception of cancer in the urinary bladder.
Cancer is, of course, an umbrella term for the “uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells that can result in death if untreated,” as the report notes. And the prognosis varies greatly depending on what part of the body is affected and what stage of cancer exists. In the “basic cancer facts” section, the society reports that with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer, at least 40% of newly diagnosed cancers in U.S. adults “are potentially avoidable, including the 19% of cancers associated with cigarette smoking, the 8% associated with excess body weight, and the 5% associated with alcohol consumption.”
The report notes that routine screening is available for many cancers, including colorectal, cervical, breast, lung and prostate cancer, which can allow detection at early stages. The report includes a schedule of recommendations for when such screening for each type should be done.
Per the society, as of last January, about 18.6 million Americans had a history of invasive cancer, most diagnosed long ago. The society estimates that 39% of men and women will at some point develop cancer, but individual risk varies a lot because of lifestyle exposures like smoking, excess weight, alcohol consumption, family history and whether or not there’s a “genetic susceptibility.”
Risk factors also include lack of physical activity, per the report.
Survival by cancer type
The report includes an estimate of new cases in 2026 for different kinds of cancer and also the number of deaths. Here’s a sampling:
- Breast: 321,910 invasive breast cancer diagnoses in women, 2,670 in men and 60,730 ductal carcinoma in situ. An estimated 42,140 women and 530 men will die as a result of breast cancer in 2026.
- Digestive system: 369,970 cases, including 203,500 in men and 166,470 in women. All told, 178,700 people are expected to die this year of digestive system cancers, including esophageal, colorectal and pancreatic cancers, among others.
- Brain: 24,740 diagnoses and 18,350 deaths.
- Lymphoma: 88,240 diagnoses and 21,070 deaths.
- Leukemia, 67,790 diagnoses and 23,910 deaths.
- Lung cancer: 229,410 diagnoses and 124,990 deaths, both diagnosis and deaths nearly equally divided between men and women.
The report also includes state breakdowns of cancer for 2026. For instance, Utah is predicted to have 15,170 cancer diagnoses this year, including 2,650 prostate cancers, 2,380 breast cancers, 1,900 skin melanomas and 1,030 colorectal cancers. The estimate is 3,970 cancer deaths in 2026, including 470 lung cancers, 440 colorectal cancers, and 350 from pancreatic cancer.
Cancer in children
Per the report, in 2026, the estimate is 9,680 children younger than 15 and 5,660 ages 15 to 19 will receive a cancer diagnosis and 1,090 children and 730 adolescents will die because of cancer. Cancer is the leading cause of death for kids. The most common cancers in children and adolescents are leukemia, brain tumors and lymphoma.
The report notes that since 1970, cancer deaths have decreased 69% in children and 58% in adolescents, “largely due to high participation in clinical trials for leukemia and other common cancers.” There are sometimes, however, lifelong side effects from treatment of rare cancers, per the report.
The authors note that “many early signs and symptoms of childhood and adolescent cancer are nonspecific and resemble common childhood conditions, which can delay diagnosis. Parents or other caregivers should ensure regular medical checkups and remain alert to unusual, persistent symptoms, including an unusual mass or swelling; unexplained paleness or loss of energy; a sudden increase in the tendency to bruise or bleed; persistent, localized pain or limping; prolonged, unexplained fever or illness; frequent headaches, often with vomiting; sudden eye or vision changes; and excessive, rapid weight loss.”
Progress at risk?
The researchers warn that future progress could be at risk, noting that in the first quarter of 2025, funding for cancer research fell by 31%, based on a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee minority staff report.
“Although decades of scientific investment have translated into longer lives for most people diagnosed with cancer,” the authors of the new ACS report concluded, “pending federal cuts to health insurance and cancer research will inevitably reduce access to life‐saving drugs and halt progress at a time when incidence is rising for many common cancers.”
Per the report, there are racial and ethnic differences. For example, Native Americans have the highest cancer mortality, with twice the death rates of white people for kidney, liver, stomach and cervical cancers.
“Lack of access to high-quality cancer care and socioeconomics continues to play a significant role in persistent racial disparities,” Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president, surveillance, prevention, and health services research at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the report, said in a news release. “Efforts need to be focused on these areas so successful targeted cancer control interventions can be more broadly and equitably applied to all populations.”