Earlier this week, the American Cancer Society (ACS) published its annual report in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Each year, a team of doctors and researchers provides a comprehensive outlook of how cancer will impact the United States. The report describes estimates for the incidence and mortality expected for various types of cancer and also provides a perspective on the most impactful cancers in different demographic groups. Importantly, as this report is published annually, it provides a clear picture of how the cancer burden changes over time.
In 2026, experts project just over two million new cancer cases and around 600,000 cancer deaths in the United States. While these numbers might sound monumental, these estimates provide a lot of positive news. The cancer mortality rates in the United States have continually declined since the early 1990s. The report shows that the nation has averted nearly five million deaths since 1991, due in part to factors, including a reduction in smoking, early detection, and better treatment options.
The next bit of good news from the 2026 estimates centers around cancer survivorship. Cancer survivors, anyone alive who has had a cancer diagnosis in the past, make up an important group of Americans. While some cancer survivors may only be one day past-diagnosis, others live decades past their battles with the disease. Notably, the five-year survival rate, which indicates the number of cancer survivors still living five years post-diagnosis, has reached a milestone of 70%. Simply put, seven out of ten cancer survivors can survive well past their diagnosis. This datapoint represents a 7% increase in survivorship from the mid-1990s.
Further analysis shows more positive outlooks on cancer survivorship. The report shows higher five-year survival rates for more advanced disease states, including 69% for regional disease and 35% for metastatic disease. These statistics represent increases of 15% and 18%, respectively, from mid-1990s survivorship data.
The authors report that patients with some of the deadliest cancers had the greatest increases in survival. This includes high-mortality malignancies like myeloma (30% improvement), liver cancer (15% improvement), and regional lung cancer (17% improvement), as well as cases that have spread to distant organs, including metastatic melanoma (19% improvement), metastatic rectal cancer (10% improvement), and metastatic lung cancer (8% improvement).
The ACS annual report on cancer statistics provides a lot of positive data on the overall burden of cancer in the country. Further cancer research, programming to promote screening and ensure early diagnosis, and expanding and simplifying access to cancer treatment remain paramount in continuing these positive trends.
Sources: CA Cancer J Clin