More Cancer Patients Are Making It to the 5-Year Survival Mark, Breaking Records

The figure, based on all cancer diagnoses from 2015 to 2021, breaks records from previous decades — like the 1970s, when half of cancer patients lived for five years after diagnosis, and the 1990s, when that figure was 63 percent.

The survival improvements were particularly significant for people diagnosed with what are considered to be more fatal cancers, including myeloma, liver cancer, and lung cancer.

“Cancer is becoming more of a chronic disease rather than a quote-unquote death sentence,” says Joel Saltzman, MD, a medical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

What’s Behind the Rising Cancer Survival Rates?

Several factors are likely contributing to the improvement in cancer survival rates, says Arif Kamal, MD, the chief patient officer at the American Cancer Society in Durham, North Carolina.

Expanded Cancer Screenings

“We’re finding cancers earlier when they’re more treatable and have higher cure rates, which speaks to cancer screening. So when you look at the major cancers that we screen for — cervical, colon, breast, and lung cancer — they constitute about half of all cancers that are diagnosed,” Dr. Kamal says.

“Half of all cancers that affect people the most can be caught earlier and have higher cure rates — so people can live longer with them,” he says.

Newer Treatment Options

New and improved treatments like immunotherapy use the body’s own immune system to combat cancer cells. According to the report, the benefits of immunotherapy are particularly evident for cancers like myeloma (cancer of plasma cells in bone marrow), with targeted immunotherapy drugs bringing survival rates from 32 percent in the mid-1990s up to 62 percent by 2021.

Fewer People Smoke

Smoking rates have decreased in the United States in recent decades. Still, the report notes, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths — projected to account for more deaths than colorectal and pancreatic cancers combined in 2026.

Some Cancer Challenges Persist

Although people are living longer with cancer, the report points out that case numbers for a number of common cancers continue to increase — including breast, endometrial, pancreatic, melanoma, and prostate cancers.

The report estimates there will be more than 2.1 million new cancer diagnoses in 2026, and more than 626,000 cancer deaths.

On top of that, persistent racial and ethnic disparities mean some groups have stubbornly high rates of developing or dying of cancer, the report suggests.

There are other societal challenges in the fight against cancer. “The ability to deliver care, especially in rural areas or for people with limited economic means — those are the things that we as a society need to emphasize and improve upon,” says Saltzman.

How You Can Reduce Your Cancer Risk

While some risk factors for developing cancer are out of our control, people can still take steps to lower their odds of getting sick, Kamal says.

“I think what the data is showing is that when we pay attention to lifestyle and screening, people are less likely to die of cancer. So it’s important for the American public to hear that the things we’ve been harping on for a while, they work — and they are the right things to be focused on,” he adds.

• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats and limited in red meat, added sugar, and processed foods.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get enough sleep.
• Manage stress levels.
• Maintain positive social connections with friends and family.
• Stay up-to-date on recommended cancer screenings.

“The current political environment has not emphasized the importance of cancer research,” says Saltzman. “Our ability to preserve that is going to be key if we want to keep these numbers going up.”