US cancer survival rate reaches 70%: 5 things to know

In the U.S., 70% of people diagnosed with cancer between 2015 and 2021 had a five-year survival rate across all cancer types, according to the American Cancer Society’s “Cancer statistics, 2026” report published Jan. 13 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

American Cancer Society researchers analyzed incidence and mortality data from central cancer registries and the National Center for Health Statistics for the report, which highlights gains and disparities. 

Here are five things to know from the report:

1. In 2026, there will be about 5,800 cancer diagnoses each day.
   
   Of the 2,114,850 new cancer diagnoses in 2026, 626,140 people will die — equivalent to about 1,700 deaths per day.
   
   
2. Overall cancer mortality dropped 34% between 1991 and 2023, though incidence continues to grow for the following cancers:
   
   
   • Breast
   • Prostate
   • Liver (female)
   • Melanoma (female)
   • Oral cavity
   • Pancreas
   • Uterine corpus (endometrial)
     
     Lung cancer will cause the highest number of deaths in 2026, more than colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer combined, the second- and third-ranked causes of cancer deaths, respectively.
     
     Native American people experience the highest cancer mortality. Death rates for Native Americans are about two times higher than those of white people for cancers of the kidney, liver, stomach and uterine cervix.
     
     
3. While cancer incidence in children 14 and younger declined by 0.6% per year between 2015 and 2022, incidence increased for adolescents ages 15-19 by 0.9% per year.
   
   In 2026, researchers estimate that 9,680 children and 5,660 adolescents will be diagnosed with cancer. Of those, 1,090 children and 730 adolescents will die from the disease.
   

4. As of Jan. 1, 2025, there were about 18.6 million cancer survivors in the U.S.
   
   The five-year relative cancer survival rate has increased from 39% to 71% among white people and 27% to 66% among Black people since the early 1960s.
   
   Since the mid-1990s, five-year survival increased for all cancers combined from 17% to 35%. Survival also increased for the following cancers during the same period:
   
   • Myeloma from 32% to 62%
   • Liver from 7% to 22%
   • Lung from 15% to 28%
   • Melanoma from 16% to 35%
   • Rectal from 8% to 18%
     
     
5. Cancer patients spend an estimated $21.1 billion per year on cancer-related costs, including $16.2 billion in total out-of-pocket costs and $4.9 billion in time and travel costs. 
   

Read the full report here and read a companion report here.