Cancer deaths decline in the US thanks to Research
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Doctors in the United States report a 35% decrease in cancer deaths between 1991 and 2024, equaling roughly 4.8 million fewer deaths.
This improvement stems from reductions in smoking, advances in prevention and early diagnosis, and more effective treatments. Researchers from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) detailed this progress in their Cancer Progress Report 2026, highlighting decades of basic, translational, and clinical research.
The report also shows that five-year survival rates for patients with distant, or advanced, cancer have more than doubled in the last three decades, rising from 17% in the mid-1990s to 36% between 2016 and 2022. The FDA approved 11 new cancer treatments from July 2025 to June 2026, including the first targeted therapy for a rare brain tumor and the first cancer vaccine based on proteolysis-targeting chimera technology.
Alongside treatment advances, artificial intelligence is playing an increasing role in cancer research and care. Its applications range from drug development to early detection and personalized treatment plans. New preventative and therapeutic cancer vaccines are also showing promise, with early results from personalized approaches for pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and triple-negative breast cancer. While progress is being made, the report notes that over 2.1 million new cancer cases are expected in the US in 2026, with over 626,000 deaths.
