This report marks the 75th year American Cancer Society researchers have analyzed and disseminated cancer data to help improve public health
ATLANTA, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The American Cancer Society (ACS) today released Cancer Statistics, 2026, the organization’s annual report on cancer facts and trends. The new findings show, for the first time, the five-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined reached 70% for people diagnosed during 2015-2021 in the United States. Survival gains since the mid-1990s are especially notable for people diagnosed with more fatal cancers, such as myeloma (from 32% to 62%), liver cancer (7% to 22%), and lung cancer (15% to 28%). These important findings are published today in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the flagship journal of ACS, alongside its consumer-friendly companion, Cancer Facts & Figures 2026, available on cancer.org.
“Seven in 10 people now survive their cancer five years or more, up from only half in the mid-70s,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report. “This stunning victory is largely the result of decades of cancer research that provided clinicians with the tools to treat the disease more effectively, turning many cancers from a death sentence into a chronic disease.”
Since its first publication in 1951, the annual ACS Cancer Statistics report has been the gold standard of cancer surveillance research in the U.S. ACS researchers analyze and disseminate data on cancer occurrence, including new cancer cases and deaths in the current year, to inform cancer control and improve public health. For this year’s study, ACS researchers compiled the most recent findings on population-based cancer occurrence and outcomes using data collected by central cancer registries (incidence through 2022) and the National Center for Health Statistics (mortality through 2023).
In 2026 in the U.S., approximately 2,114,850 new cancer diagnoses (5,800 each day) are projected to occur, and 626,140 people will die from the disease. Although the cancer mortality rate has continued to decline through 2023, dropping by a total of 34% since its peak in 1991 and averting 4.8 million cancer deaths, incidence continues to increase for many common cancers, including breast, prostate, liver (female), melanoma (female), oral cavity, pancreas, and uterine corpus (endometrial).
“For decades, the federal government has been the largest funder of cancer research, which has translated to longer lives for people with even the most fatal cancers,” explained Shane Jacobson, CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). “But now, threats to cancer research funding and significant impact to access to health insurance could reverse this progress and stall future breakthroughs. We can’t stop now. There is still much work to be done.”
Other highlights from the report include:
- Five-year survival has improved dramatically for distant-stage cancer since the mid-1990s, doubling for all cancers combined (from 17% to 35%), for melanoma (16% to 35%), and for rectal cancer (8% to 18%).
- Lung cancer will cause the most cancer deaths in 2026, more than second-ranking colorectal cancer and third-ranking pancreatic cancer combined.
- For the three in four people diagnosed with lung cancer at an advanced stage, five-year survival has increased since the mid-1990s from 20% to 37% for regional-stage disease and from 2% to 10% for distant-stage disease.
- Native American people have the highest cancer mortality, including death rates about two times those of White people for cancers of the kidney, liver, stomach, and uterine cervix.
“Lack of access to high-quality cancer care and socioeconomics continues to play a significant role in persistent racial disparities,” said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president, surveillance, prevention, and health services research at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the report. “Efforts need to be focused on these areas so successful targeted cancer control interventions can be more broadly and equitably applied to all populations.”
Meaningful change requires both equitable access and robust support for cancer research and increased support for cancer survivors.
“Oncology treatment goes far beyond the medical care used to manage or attempt to cure the disease. With survival rates increasing, this leads us to cancer survivorship, which means addressing the physical, emotional, and financial challenges these patients can face,” explained Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society. “We are encouraged by the number of resources to assist the millions of survivors, along with the caregivers and clinicians, but more strategies will be necessary to ensure everyone has the support needed to have not only more days, but better days.”
ACS has developed guidelines for cancer survivors. These guidelines and other information on managing health care as a cancer survivor can be found here.
Other ACS authors participating in this study include Tyler Kratzer, MPH, Dr. Nikita Wagle, and Dr. Hyuna Sung.
Additional ACS Resources:
Cancer Statistics Report 2025
Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Report 2025
VOICES of Black Women Study
Cancer Survivors Network
CancerRisk360
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 110 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
SOURCE American Cancer Society
