It’s not often that researchers get to share encouraging news when it comes to cancer. That’s why the recent announcement about an increase in survival rates really caught everyone’s attention. For the first time in over a decade, the statistics show that seven in 10 people who were diagnosed with cancer have survived it. Here’s why that’s got everybody so excited.
The first thing you should know is the importance of survival rate statistics. Generally, this information tells physicians how many people with a specific type of cancer have survived five years after being diagnosed. This includes persons with different stages of the disease and those who have undergone varying types of treatment. While doctors can dig further to get data that’s relevant to a specific patient, the general information often guides their proposed treatment plans.
Over time, this increase in the survival rate can further influence the ACS’s projected numbers for cancer diagnoses and mortality rates. While this may not be clear in their projection for 2026, it may drop in the years to come. Health experts state that the decrease may take two to three years for the projections to reflect this new survival rate.
According to a report from the American Cancer Society (ACS), there has been an increase in the overall survival rate of people who were diagnosed with all types of cancer in 2017-2021. The rate has risen to 70 percent, which means that seven in 10 people who were diagnosed with cancer during that period survived the important five-year stage. To put that in perspective, that figure has been at 50 percent since the 1990s.
The numbers are even more impressive when you consider specific types of cancer. For example, cancers that are usually considered to be more fatal, like myeloma, saw the survival rate rise from 32 to 62 percent. Persons with liver cancer had their odds of survival increase from seven to 22 percent, while those living with lung cancer saw a rise of 15 to 28 percent.
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Research shows that the increase in survival rates may be attributed to multiple factors. These factors include earlier detection, increased diagnostic activities, lifestyle changes, and advances in treatment options. When analysing the situations that led to an increased rate, researchers noted that increased screening and earlier detection made a difference in the survival rates for breast, prostate, and kidney cancers.
However, they also found that improvements in how cancer is treated have made the most impact. When it comes to chronic myeloid leukemia, for example, the survival rates tripled for those who were diagnosed from 2015 to 2021 because of the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. These drugs have allowed persons with this condition to have a much longer life expectancy. For myeloma, the recent development of targeted immunotherapy medicine has already improved the survival rate from 32 percent in the mid-90s to 62 percent for those diagnosed between 2015 and 2021.
The good news continues when looking at changes for people who were diagnosed with liver cancer within the same time period. Using immunotherapy drugs in the treatment protocol had a positive impact–even on those with advanced liver cancer who would typically only be given palliative care.
Advances in targeted therapy have also resulted in positive changes in the survival rate of several types of cancer. Researchers reported gains for persons who were diagnosed with lung cancer, melanoma, rectal cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer.
According to the 2025 cancer statistics published by the ACS, Black people continue to have higher mortality rates for certain cancers than other ethnicities. Black people were more likely to die from breast, prostate, and lung cancer. This occurred even though Black women were less prone to being diagnosed with breast cancer than their white counterparts, and Black men were seeing a decline in developing prostate and lung cancer.
When researchers broke out the data dealing with survival rates, though, it made the disparity even clearer. Despite the overall reduction in mortality rates for other ethnicities, Black Americans still had the lowest survival rates when it came to almost all types of cancer, regardless of the stage. The list includes breast, colorectal, kidney, lung, uterine, ovarian, cervical, and prostate cancers.
Although it’s suggested that lifestyle habits such as smoking can be a significant contribution to developing lung cancer, it doesn’t explain what happens with the other types of cancer. That’s why researchers are pointing out that the other factor that the health industry must address is inequality in treatment. Based on the findings of this new report, it’s clear that advancements in treatment are making a significant difference in cancer survival rates. If Black people aren’t seeing the same effects, then it’s likely that they aren’t being given the same level of medical attention.
Of course, this isn’t a new assertion, as disparities in medical care for Black Americans have been discussed for years. This report highlights it, though, and researchers hope that it will make a difference in Black people’s care.
For the most part, the guidelines for living with cancer haven’t changed. Health experts still recommend that you stick to your prescribed medical regimen while letting your doctor know about any side effects you’re experiencing or if you feel your medications are no longer effective.
You should eat healthily and remain physically active with your doctor’s permission. Depending on the kind of treatment you’re undergoing, your immune system may be compromised, so you may need to take special precautions to avoid infections.
Where things may have changed is with advanced cancers. For years, the only option for some people with more progressive cancers was to have palliative care. While this can be helpful to maintain some level of care, many doctors no longer administer treatment at this stage. However, as drug therapies for cancer advance, doctors are suggesting options to their patients that may make a difference in their prognosis. Even if you’re already in palliative care, it’s important to keep talking to your doctor about any changes in treatment that may help you.
A recent report shows that the survival rate for cancer has increased for the first time in over a decade. While this is excellent news in general, the details of the report note that researchers are still concerned about the state of the cancer survival rates for Black people. The good news is that this may encourage doctors to pursue equal treatment of all patients.
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