New data from the American Cancer Society (ACS) offers a rare and welcome note of hope in the long struggle against cancer: more Americans diagnosed with the disease are living longer than ever before. For the first time on record, the five-year survival rate for all cancers combined has reached 70 percent, a milestone that experts say reflects decades of sustained research, early detection, and improved treatment.
“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 of surveillance research at ACS and lead author of the annual report, according to a news release cited by the Washington Post. She described the shift as a profound transformation, noting that cancer has increasingly become a chronic condition rather than an immediate death sentence.
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The report also shows that cancer mortality has steadily declined through 2023, preventing an estimated 4.8 million deaths since 1991. Yet the burden remains heavy. In 2026 alone, the United States is expected to see more than 2 million new cancer diagnoses and over 626,000 cancer-related deaths, according to ACS.
Notably, the most significant survival gains are being seen among patients diagnosed with historically deadly cancers, including myeloma, liver cancer, and lung cancer. The survival rate for metastatic rectal cancer, for example, has more than doubled since the mid-1990s, rising from 8 percent to 18 percent. For metastatic lung cancer, five-year survival has increased from 2 percent to 10 percent.
William Dahut, chief scientific officer for the American Cancer Society, emphasized that these advances did not happen by chance. Improvements in survival rates are largely the result of reduced tobacco use, earlier detection, and more effective therapies, he said. Critically, he stressed that these breakthroughs depend on continued investment in scientific research.
“The thing to focus on is really the importance of scientific funding and scientific discovery to really drive improvements in five-year survival,” Dahut said, according to the Washington Post. He also described recent improvements among patients with metastatic cancer as “particularly striking.”
Concerns have emerged, however, about the future of that progress. In early 2025, the Trump administration cut millions of dollars in health research grants, including funding earmarked for cancer studies. Experts warn that reduced support for research could stall or reverse life-saving gains.
Medical leaders who were not involved in the ACS report echoed the hopeful tone while urging caution. Sharon Giordano, chair of breast medical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, said the findings demonstrate that “meaningful progress has been made in the fight against cancer,” according to the report. At the same time, Cardinale Smith, chief medical officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, stressed that future success depends on sustained commitment to research, noting that decades of work have already helped millions of Americans live longer and better lives.
From a Catholic perspective, these developments underscore both the value of scientific inquiry and the moral obligation to protect human dignity at every stage of illness. The Church has long affirmed that caring for the sick is not only a medical task, but a spiritual and social responsibility — one that calls for justice, compassion, and solidarity.
Yet the ACS report also highlights persistent inequities that demand attention. Native American populations experience the highest cancer mortality rates in the country and are twice as likely as White Americans to die from several major cancers. Cancer survival rates remain lower among Black Americans for nearly every cancer type, disparities researchers attribute largely to unequal access to quality care.
As survival rates improve, a new challenge is emerging: caring for a rapidly growing population of survivors. As of January last year, more than 18.6 million Americans were living after a cancer diagnosis, a number projected to exceed 22 million by 2035, according to ACS.
“In our current medical system, we don’t really have a great model for who’s best to follow cancer survivors,” Dahut said, noting that many primary care providers lack specialized training in survivorship and recurrence monitoring. “Having more and more survivors is great,” he added, “but I think we’re going to have to come up with strategies in order to ensure that they’re cared for in a way that’s consistent across the country.”
For Catholics, these findings invite gratitude for progress, prayer for those still suffering, and renewed commitment to advocating for ethical research, equitable care, and compassionate accompaniment — ensuring that hope is not only extended, but sustained, for every life touched by cancer.
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