U.S. cancer survivor ranks grow as detection rises and deaths drop

By Jessica Nix

Bloomberg

More Americans are living with cancer as death rates continue to decline, thanks to improved detection methods and better treatment options.

Seven out of 10 people survived for five years after a diagnosis during 2015-2021 across all cancers, a key goal of therapy, according to the American Cancer Society’s annual report released Tuesday. The improvement extended to more aggressive types, with higher survival rates for myeloma, liver and lung cancers compared with decades prior, the report found.

“These latest survival statistics are a resounding testament to the progress we’ve made in cancer research, early detection, and treatment,” said Dr. Edward Kim, the physician-in-chief at City of Hope Orange County. “Seeing overall five-year survival reach 70% is remarkable, and the gains in historically challenging cancers like lung, liver, and myeloma give us hope for the future.

“While these improvements are very encouraging, we must continue addressing disparities in access for underserved communities to ensure that every patient benefits from these advances and has access to advanced cancer care and lifesaving clinical trials.”

About 18 million people are living with cancer now, said William Dahut, ACS chief scientific officer. Nine million of them were diagnosed in the past decade. It’s a growing community of people who now have to cope with the burdens of survivorship, including financial troubles, mental health challenges and ongoing treatment, he said during a press conference.

But the success of new treatments and early detection comes as the U.S., the largest funder of cancer research, has slashed some financial support. Plus, the fight over expanding the Affordable Care Act subsidies continues in Congress, leaving many patients in the dark and unsure whether they can continue to pay for treatment.

Funding cuts and derailed access to quality care “could reverse this progress and stall future breakthroughs,” ACS Chief Executive Officer Shane Jacobson in a statement.

While the new treatments offer hope, they often come with high price tags. It’s a booming business for pharmaceutical companies, driving at least $200 billion in sales globally. A Bloomberg News investigation last year found the median initial price of cancer drugs has quadrupled to $25,000 a month. Fewer than half of those approved since 2000 have been shown to prolong people’s lives. Hospitals, researchers and medical device companies all benefit from the boom — though not always patients.

75th year

The ACS has analyzed cancer rates annually since 1951. The report examines cancer occurrence data, new cases and deaths from the population-based cancer registries and the National Center for Health Statistics to inform research and education. Tuesday’s report analyzed recently available data through 2023 for mortality and 2022 for incidence rates.

Overall mortality has declined through 2023, dropping by 34% since its peak in 1991. In total, more than 3 million Americans died from cancer in 2023 — down by more than 188,000 from the year prior. Still, fatality rates are rising for some common cancers, including breast, prostate, oral cavity and pancreatic cancers.

It was the second leading cause of death in the country across all age groups, behind heart disease. For men ages 60-79 and women ages 40-79, it remained the leading killer.

The nonprofit research organization predicted there would more than 2.1 million new diagnoses in 2026. More than 600,000 people are expected to die from cancer, with lung, colorectal and pancreatic tumors expected to be the three leading causes.

Breast cancer is the dominant diagnosis for women, well ahead of lung cancer, the second most common type, the report said. It’s also the leading cause of cancer death among women younger than 50. Black women are most likely to die after a breast cancer diagnosis.

In the past decade, breast cancer rates have increased by about 1% each year, but the rate is growing quicker in women under 50. Lower fertility rates, higher obesity prevalence, alcohol consumption and lower physical activity are part of the explanation.

In 2025, the U.S. warned of links between any alcohol use and a higher likelihood of breast cancer. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services updated dietary guidelines to recommend people “limit” alcohol intake, with no mention of links to cancer.