Earlier Cancer Detection is Pushing Cancer Survival to New Highs
For the first time in history, seven in 10 people diagnosed with cancer in the United States now survive at least five years. It’s a milestone that reflects decades of progress—and millions of lives changed.
According to the latest annual report from the American Cancer Society, cancer deaths in the United States have dropped 35% since 1991, translating to an estimated 4.8 million lives saved. The findings, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, offer powerful evidence that prevention, earlier detection, and better treatments are making a real difference.
Survival Rates Reach a New Benchmark
One of the most encouraging findings—the five-year relative survival rate for all cancers diagnosed between 2015 and 2021 reached 70% for the first time. Just a few decades ago, that number was far lower—about 49% in the mid-1970s and 63% in the mid-1990s. Survival gains were especially notable for people diagnosed with more advanced disease.
Improvements were seen not only in localized cancers, but also in metastatic cancers that have historically carried poor prognoses. These gains highlight how advances in care are reaching patients who once had very limited options. As report author Rebecca L. Seigel, MPH, noted, many cancers that were once considered a death sentence are increasingly being managed as chronic diseases—an extraordinary shift driven by sustained research and innovation.
What’s Driving the Progress?
The report points to three major factors behind the decline in cancer deaths:
Reduced smoking rates, which have fallen dramatically over the several decades
Earlier detection, allowing cancers to be found when they are more treatable
Improved treatments, including targeted therapies and better care strategies
Together, these advances have reshaped the cancer landscape—and underscore the importance of continuing to invest in prevention and early diagnosis.
Still Work to Do
Despite these gains, cancer remains a major public health challenge. The report estimates that more than 2.1 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States in 2026, and more than 626,000 lives will still be lost to the disease.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths, responsible for more fatalities than colorectal and pancreatic cancers combined. Smoking continues to drive most of these cases, reinforcing the urgent need for effective prevention and early detection—especially in communities that continue to experience higher cancer burdens. The data also highlight persistent disparities and rising diagnoses in younger adults for certain cancers, reminding us that progress has not reached everyone equally.
A Future Shaped by Early Detection
At Cizzle Bio, we see this report as both a cause for celebration and call to action. The steady decline in cancer mortality shows what’s possible when science, early detection, and patient-centered care come together. At the same time, the ongoing burden of late-stage diagnoses reinforces why there is a critical need for minimally invasive, early detection tools.
That mission is at the heart of Cizzle Bio’s work, as we focus on advancing two groundbreaking biomarker blood tests that will soon be available to U.S. healthcare providers—CIZ1B, designed to support earlier detection of lung cancer, and DEX-G2, which identifies gastric cancer at earlier, more treatable stages.
Learn more about Cizzle Bio’s commitment to early cancer detection and the near-term U.S. launch of our innovative biomarker blood tests at: www.cizzlebio.com
Sources
Bassett, M. (2026, January 14). More people survive cancer, report shows—Almost 5 million cancer deaths averted since 1991, according to the American Cancer Society. MedPage Today.
For the first time, 70% of people diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. now survive at least five years. Here’s what’s driving the progress, and why earlier detection remains critical.