Cancer survival reaches milestone as seven in 10 patients now live five years or more

The American Cancer Society reports that 70% of U.S. patients diagnosed from 2015–2021 survived at least five years, up from about 50% in the 1970s and 63% in the mid-1990s.

The United States has reached a notable milestone in cancer outcomes: the American Cancer Society reports that seven in 10 people diagnosed with cancer now survive at least five years. The 70% five-year survival figure covers diagnoses from 2015 to 2021 and appears in the society's journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Researchers credited advances such as immunotherapy and targeted therapies for much of the improvement, while clinicians and authors also pointed to persistent risk factors and inequities that limit further gains. Key findings: - The American Cancer Society reports a 70% five-year survival rate for patients diagnosed 2015–2021, up from about 50% in the 1970s and 63% in the mid-1990s. - The report estimates roughly 4.8 million cancer deaths were prevented from 1991 to 2023, attributed to better treatments, earlier detection, and reduced smoking. - Immunotherapy and targeted treatments are highlighted as major contributors; the five-year survival for myeloma rose to 62% from 32% in the mid-1990s, and regional lung cancer survival increased to 37% from 20%. - The American Cancer Society projects more than 2.1 million new cancer cases and about 626,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. this year. - Experts noted rising colorectal cancer rates in people under 50, increasing overall breast cancer rates among women, and emphasized obesity as a contributing risk factor. - Report authors expressed concern about recent changes in research funding and policy that could affect progress; one analysis cited a 31% decline in cancer research grant funding in the first three months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. Summary: The report reflects substantial long-term gains in cancer survival tied to improved therapies, earlier detection, and reductions in smoking. It also highlights ongoing challenges, including rising rates of some cancers among younger people, health disparities affecting Native American and Black populations, and concerns about research funding and screening disruptions. Undetermined at this time.