Cancer Statistics, 2026

In 2026, approximately 2,114,850 new cancer cases and 626,140 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States. The cancer mortality rate continued to decline through 2023, averting 4.8 million deaths since 1991, largely because of smoking reductions, earlier detection, and improved treatment. The 5‐year relative survival rates reached a milestone 70% for diagnoses during 2015–2021 overall, 69% for regional‐stage disease, and 35% for distant‐stage (metastatic) disease, up from 63%, 54%, and 17%, respectively, in the mid‐1990s. lung cancer will cause more deaths in 2026 than second‐ranking colorectal cancer and third‐ranking pancreatic cancer combined. In summary, decades of scientific investment have translated to longer lives for people with even the most fatal cancers. Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity globally, largely attributable to modifiable risks.