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The American Cancer Society's 2026 Cancer Statistics report marks a watershed moment in oncology, with 70 percent of patients now surviving at least five years following cancer diagnosis. This represents a dramatic improvement from 49 percent in the mid-1970s and 63 percent in the mid-1990s, reflecting the cumulative impact of research-driven therapeutic advances and improved screening protocols.
The data, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, analyzed diagnoses from 2015 through 2021 and reveals particularly striking gains in historically high-mortality cancers. Myeloma survival nearly doubled from 32 percent to 62 percent since the mid-1990s, while liver cancer survival tripled from 7 percent to 22 percent. Lung cancer, which remains the leading cause of cancer mortality, saw five-year survival rates increase from 15 percent to 28 percent during the same period.
Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director of surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author, attributes these improvements to decades of cancer research that have translated into clinical practice. The improvements include treatments that use the immune system to fight cancer, therapies that target specific genetic changes, and better ways to find cancer early.
For managed care organizations, these survival improvements carry major consequences regarding care coordination and long-term management strategies. The report projects 2.1 million new cancer diagnoses in 2026, with an increasing proportion of patients requiring extended survivorship care rather than end-of-life services. Cancer mortality has declined 34 percent since peaking in 1991, averting an estimated 4.8 million deaths.
However, the report notes rising incidence rates for several common cancers, including breast, prostate, pancreatic, and endometrial malignancies, underscoring the continued need for comprehensive coverage policies and evidence-based formulary decisions supporting innovative therapeutic options.
