More Americans Surviving Cancer as 70% Live Five Years or More

An American Cancer Society report says 70% of people now survive at least five years after a cancer diagnosis, and the society warns that federal research funding cuts could threaten future advances.

More Americans are surviving cancer, with a new American Cancer Society report saying 70% of patients live at least five years after diagnosis. The report, published Jan. 13 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, attributes much of the improvement to decades of research, earlier detection and reductions in smoking. Society leaders also warned that cuts to federal research funding could put future gains at risk. The report highlights both major survival gains and persistent disparities across populations. Key findings: - Overall five-year survival for all cancers combined is reported at 70%. - When broken down by stage at diagnosis, the report cites five-year survival of 69% for regional-stage disease (up from 54%) and 35% for metastatic disease (up from 17%). - The report notes survival improvements in several higher-mortality cancers, reporting myeloma increased from 32% to 62%, liver cancer from 7% to 22%, and lung cancer from 15% to 28%. - The American Cancer Society projects 2,114,850 new cancer diagnoses this year and 626,140 deaths, and reports that lung cancer is expected to be the most fatal cancer this year, followed by colorectal and pancreatic cancers. - The report says cancer mortality continued to decline through 2023, averting an estimated 4.8 million deaths since 1991, largely because of smoking reductions, earlier detection, and improved treatment. - The article reports that in November the Trump administration cut funding to the National Institutes of Health, and the society warned those funding changes could affect research into cancer and other diseases. Summary: Rising five-year survival rates reflect long-term progress in detection, treatment and public-health measures, while the report also documents ongoing racial and socioeconomic disparities in outcomes. The American Cancer Society warns that federal research funding cuts could slow future advances. Undetermined at this time.