Cancer Is on the Rise—but More People Are Surviving Even the Deadliest Kinds

Some cancers are now a chronic disease rather than a death sentence, especially for women.

January 13, 2026

pink egg cracked open with a tree growing on top

It’s tough to ignore the flurry of headlines decrying rising cancer rates, especially among young women and nonsmokers. But it seems now there is a reason for hope. According to the annual American Cancer Society (ACS) report released on January 13, more people are surviving cancer. The findings show that seven in 10 people with cancer now survive for at least five years, up from just half of patients in the 1970s.

Of particular note: The five-year survival rate for metastatic cancer (the late-stage type that has spread beyond its origin site) has doubled since the 1990s, meaning more people are surviving the deadliest cancers too.

Some of the biggest improvements have happened in the more fatal cancers that are rising in women, like liver cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma, Arif Kamal, MD, MBA, chief patient officer at ACS, tells SELF. And there have been sizable jumps in survival from ovarian cancer and breast cancer; in fact, the reduction of the breast cancer mortality rate by 42% since the 90s reflects one of the largest drops in mortality across cancer types, Dr. Kamal adds. (One notable exception here is uterine cancer, which is becoming more fatal, in large part due to a rising proportion of more aggressive types, particularly among Black women.)

The result is a record 18 million cancer survivors in the US right now, a number expected to grow between 300,000 and 500,000 annually over the next 10 years. In turn, a cancer diagnosis is often no longer a death sentence; it unfolds more like a chronic disease. And that shift requires a different conversation around cancer, Dr. Kamal says.

“We need to dispel the myths that all cancer patients are bed-bound, tired all the time. You know what the average cancer patient looks like? They’re going to work, they’re doing the things they love. And they don’t need to be bubble-wrapped.” Just like the rest of us, “they do better when they’re socially supported,” he says—whether it’s been days, months, or, increasingly, years since they received their diagnosis.

Why more people are surviving cancer, even as rates rise

Research suggests more people getting cancer is due to a mix of environmental factors (like chemicals in our food, air, water, and household products) and lifestyle behaviors (like reduced physical activity and increased alcohol consumption). Interestingly, there is one positive lifestyle trend that could be driving lower death rates, particularly from lung cancer: a decline in smoking—down from about 44% of people in the 1960s to 11% now. The fact that women are less likely to smoke than men may help them out even more here, Dr. Kamal says.

But likely the biggest drivers leading people to live longer with cancer are boosts in detection and breakthroughs in treatment. We’re catching plenty of cancers (like breast, cervical, lung, and colorectal) sooner than we used to—when they’re easier to cure, Dr. Kamal says. Perhaps unsurprisingly, screening rates are typically higher among women than men, which could improve their chances of survival here too, he points out.

Scientists have also unlocked a bunch of more effective cancer therapies in recent decades. “We went from using what was essentially a cluster bomb that you drop and hope for the best, to very targeted missiles,” Dr. Kamal says. The development of immunotherapy has taken things even a step further—these drugs don’t attack directly, but rather help immune cells spot cancerous ones and spring into action. Switching to these approaches has made it easier to kill cancer with precision.

These innovative treatments are also generally more tolerable because they involve less “collateral damage of healthy cells,” Dr. Kamal says. This has allowed patients to avoid many of the notorious side effects of chemo (e.g., hair loss, nausea, fatigue, infections), which has made it easier to stay on treatment long-term, better ensuring an optimal outcome.

How longtime cancer survivorship can bring hurdles of its own

While it’s fantastic news that more people are living for years past a cancer diagnosis, that life often looks a whole lot different than the one they led prior. Undergoing active treatment for many years can take a toll, upping your risk for heart failure and other organ damage, as well as secondary cancers. Not to mention the emotional fallout of battling significant pain, hospital days, and more. Cancer can also disrupt your life, including your career and relationships. And surviving cancer is expensive.

“We know between 30% and 40% of people with cancer drain their life savings during the course of their cancer journey,” Dr. Kamal says. Beyond being supremely stressful, that can completely change your quality of life—maybe you have to downsize your house or keep working indefinitely to pay for the pills that keep your cancer at bay, he says.

Living with cancer for longer can also be a socially isolating experience. Perhaps you’re at the age when most of your relationships were made through work; missing in-office days can loosen those ties. “Separation begets separation,” Dr. Kamal says. And we tend to have short attention spans, he adds: “When you say, ‘I have cancer,’ people will lean in for weeks, maybe months. But to lean in for years is often harder. They start to feel like they gave the rides and they brought the lasagnas, and they’ve kind of moved on. But of course, it’s not over for the patient.”