An increasing number of patients in the United States have been surviving cancer—even the fatal ones.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. However, cancer mortality has declined steadily and significantly over the past few decades, thanks to new methods for early diagnosis and therapeutic breakthroughs such as immunotherapy.
“Seven in 10 people [in the United States] now survive their cancer five years or more, up from only half in the mid-70s,” said Rebecca Siegel, a cancer epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society (ACS) in a statement.
In a recent study, Siegel and her colleagues investigated trends in cancer incidence and mortality as far back as the 1930s.1 They used data gathered by organizations such as the National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Center for Health Statistics. For their analyses, the researchers standardized cancer incidence and mortality rates based on age.
Over the past few decades, five-year survival rates of fatal cancers have dramatically increased. Between 1995 to 1997 and 2015 to 2021, these numbers nearly doubled for myeloma and lung cancer and more than tripled for liver cancer.
Janette Latour, The Scientist
The team observed that survival has increased most dramatically in fatal cancers. For instance, from 1995 to 1997, the five-year survival rates of myeloma, liver cancer, and lung cancer were only 32, seven, and 15 percent, respectively. But from 2015 to 2021, these numbers reached 62, 22, and 28 percent.
Yet despite these accomplishments, the researchers highlighted that there is more progress to be made. For example, the incidence of some cancer types, such as breast and prostate, continues to rise.
“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,” said Shane Jacobson, the chief executive officer of the ACS. “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.”
