Cancer statistics have reached new heights — in good and not-so-good ways.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) released its annual report on cancer trends this week, showing for the first time that more people are surviving cancer than ever before.
The five-year survival rate for all cancers combined in the US reached a landmark 70% for Americans diagnosed between 2015 and 2021 — yet three specific types are still causing an alarming number of deaths.
On the flip side, the survival rates improved the most since the mid-1990s for several of the most fatal cancers, such as myeloma, liver and lung cancers.
Myeloma, a rare blood cancer, saw the most significant boost in five-year survival rates, with a jump from 32% to 62%. Liver cancer saw a 15% increase, and 28% of people survived lung cancer.
Despite substantial progress, cancer continues to affect many.
Just in 2026, more than 2 million new cancer diagnoses and roughly 626,000 deaths are expected.
The three types predicted to be the deadliest this year? Lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancer.
Researchers believe the number of deaths from lung cancer alone will exceed colorectal and pancreatic cancer combined.
While smoking rates have drastically dropped over the decades, cigarettes still contribute to 87% and 84% of lung cancer diagnoses in men and women, respectively.
And cases of colorectal cancer continue to spike, especially among younger adults, a trend that’s concerning doctors.
Called a “silent killer” since there may be no symptoms, an estimated 52,900 people died from the disease in 2025, a number expected to grow by more than 3,000 cases this year.
Meanwhile, pancreatic cancer cases have gradually increased since the mid-1990s.
Researchers did note that numbers have stabilized over the last five years, citing possible earlier diagnoses and less aggressive tumors.
Extensive cancer research is also a key factor in the success.
“This stunning victory is largely the result of decades of cancer research that provided clinicians with the tools to treat the disease more effectively, turning many cancers from a death sentence into a chronic disease,” Rebecca Siegel, a senior scientific director at the ACS and lead author of the report, said in a statement.
Besides years of cancer research, the ACS also attributes the milestone achievement to advances in treatments, earlier diagnoses and different types of tumors, allowing for better prognosis.
Yet, this continued progress is threatened by proposed federal cuts.
“For decades, the federal government has been the largest funder of cancer research, which has translated to longer lives for people with even the most fatal cancers,” explained Shane Jacobson, CEO of the ACS. “But now, threats to cancer research funding and significant impact to access to health insurance could reverse this progress and stall future breakthroughs.”
