Americans living longer after cancer diagnosis as five‑year survival rises

New data show seven in 10 Americans diagnosed with cancer now survive five years or more, with the largest gains occurring in some high‑mortality cancers such as multiple myeloma and liver cancer.

New findings report that seven in 10 Americans diagnosed with cancer now survive at least five years. The data cover patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2021 and mark a roughly 7 percentage‑point increase from the mid‑1990s. Harold J. Burstein, an oncologist at Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute and professor at Harvard Medical School, said the numbers reflect medical progress alongside public health and social changes. He discussed ways treatment, screening and genetics have influenced those trends. Key facts: - Seven in 10 Americans diagnosed with cancer now survive five years or more, an increase from about 63 percent in the mid‑1990s, according to the reported data. - The statistics cover diagnoses from 2015 through 2021 and show the largest survival gains in some high‑mortality cancers, for example multiple myeloma (reported rise from 32 percent to 62 percent) and liver cancer (reported rise from 7 percent to 22 percent). - Contributing factors noted include reduced smoking, expanded screening and early detection (colonoscopies, Pap smears, mammography), and advances in treatments such as targeted therapies, immunotherapy and CAR‑T approaches. - Improvements are visible in treatments for metastatic disease and certain leukemias, and some cancers can now be treated in ways that reduce the need for extensive surgery or highly toxic chemotherapy. - Several cancers remain challenging or show concerning trends, including pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, and a reported increase in early‑onset colorectal cancer among people under 50. - Burstein noted that about 5–10 percent of cancers have a hereditary component and that genetic testing can identify familial risk and inform screening or preventive options. Summary: The reported gains reflect combined effects of prevention, earlier detection and newer treatments, with notable survival improvements in some previously high‑mortality cancers. Clinicians described advances such as targeted drugs, immunotherapy and genetic testing as drivers of change, while outcomes for certain tumors remain limited and the course of future progress is undetermined at this time.