Khaberni - The annual report of the American Cancer Society for 2026 states that patients are more likely to live 5 years or more after being diagnosed compared to past decades, and survival rates have doubled even for the most lethal types of cancer.
The report noted that at the same time, the number of new cases continues to rise, and survival rates for certain types of cancer, such as some types of endometrial tumors and prostate cancer, do not improve, indicating an urgent need for better prevention and awareness.
Dr. Arif Kamal, head of patient affairs at the American Cancer Society, said that exceeding the 5-year survival rate for cancer patients at 70% is "good news".
Significant increase in cases
However, he added: "We must realize that the number of people diagnosed with cancer this year will exceed any number previously diagnosed: 2.1 million people."
According to "MedScape", Kamal confirmed that this number is continually increasing, adding, "Therefore, what we are working to solve, and have made significant progress in, are the survival and mortality rates. What we have not yet been able to solve are the new cancer cases themselves."
Improvement in survival rates
Kamal said that the relative 5-year survival rate for all cancer types has risen from 49% in the mid-1970s and 64% in the late 1990s to 70% in the period 2015-2021, representing a "significant improvement".
He continued: The relative 5-year survival rate implies that cancer is no longer a "death sentence".
He added: "Saying today that more than two-thirds of patients will survive, and that we are achieving discoveries and results every day that will continue to raise this number to more than 70%, gives great hope to newly diagnosed patients, making them feel that their future is not predetermined."
According to the report, the highest survival rates are for thyroid and prostate cancers, at 98% for each, followed by testicular and melanoma cancers, each at 95%.
Lung Cancer
The lowest survival rates are for lung cancer (28%), liver (22%), esophagus (22%), and pancreas (13%).
Patients with lung cancer have also seen the most notable improvements in survival rates between the mid-1990s and the period 2015-2021, according to the report, with the rate rising from 20% to 37% for localized stage lung cancer, and increasing five-fold for advanced stage lung cancer, from 2% to 10%.
Patients with skin, rectal, and stomach cancers in advanced stages have also seen significant improvements in the relative 5-year survival rate, which estimates the life expectancy of people after being diagnosed compared to similar groups in the general population during those periods.
However, lung cancer will still be responsible for more deaths than any other type of cancer, surpassing the second and third most lethal types of cancer, which are colon and rectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer combined.
