More Americans are surviving deadly cancer
US cancer survival rates reach highest level since the 1970s
- Cancer survival rates in the US are the highest they’ve been since the 1970s, with at least 70 percent of patients now surviving for five years or more after diagnosis, a significant increase from 50 percent in 1970.
- This substantial progress is largely attributed to decades of cancer research, which has equipped clinicians with more effective treatment methods, transforming many cancers into manageable chronic conditions.
- Specific and notable survival gains have been observed in particularly fatal cancers, with myeloma rates rising from 32 percent to 62 percent, liver cancer from 7 percent to 22 percent, and lung cancer from 15 percent to 28 percent since the mid-1990s.
- Despite these advancements, researchers have voiced concerns over the Trump administration's decision to cut billions in funding for the National Institutes of Health, including cancer research, warning that such reductions could jeopardise future breakthroughs.
- While the overall cancer death rate has decreased, diagnosis rates are increasing for several types of cancer, especially among younger adults, highlighting a growing need to address the physical, emotional, and financial challenges faced by cancer survivors.