The just-released 2026 Cancer Statistics report from the American Cancer Society paints a hopeful picture for cancer patients in the United States. According to the report, the five-year survival rate for all cancers combined has hit an all-time high of 70%, a milestone attributed to major advances in cancer treatment, earlier detection, and public health efforts like reduced smoking rates.
One of the most striking improvements is in childhood leukemia. Approximately 90% of patients diagnosed with childhood leukemia are now cured, a figure that would have seemed unimaginable just a few decades ago. But the news comes with a catch: survivors face a threefold higher risk of mortality compared to the general population, often due to late effects of the very treatments that saved their lives—especially cardiovascular disease and secondary cancers.
Cancer Treatment: Progress and Persistent Gaps
Since 1991, cancer mortality has steadily declined, with 4.8 million deaths avoided thanks to better therapies and prevention. Stories like that of Kyle Donahue, who beat the odds after a glioblastoma diagnosis in 2021 by enrolling in a clinical trial at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, highlight how experimental medications—like CAN-3110, which “acts like a Pac-Man” to train the immune system to attack tumors—are changing the game for some of the toughest cancers.
But not all types of cancer have yielded so easily. Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare and aggressive childhood brain cancer, still carries a grim prognosis, with most children surviving just 12 months after diagnosis. Scientists are making progress by targeting proteins like FACT and BET, and when experimental drugs are combined, early lab results show cancer cells die and tumors shrink in mice. Researchers are now exploring whether adding immune-based therapies like CAR T-cell treatment could make these breakthroughs even more powerful.
Survival Is Not Shared Equally
Not everyone benefits equally from these advances. The uninsured rate among American Indian and Alaska Native groups hovers between 22% and 23%, while it’s around 15% to 17% for Black patients. Without insurance, people have far less access to screening, preventive care, and timely treatment—critical factors that influence survival from diagnosis to long-term remission.
Meanwhile, support networks play a crucial role. Joe McDonough, who co-founded The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation after losing his son, has spent nearly two decades helping families facing childhood cancer. As he says, “Cancer is a great equalizer…it’s like this cruel wheel spins and lands on you.” His foundation and others like it are vital lifelines for families navigating the daunting—and often expensive—journey through cancer.
With new therapies and improved survival rates, the outlook for many cancer patients is brighter than ever. Yet, the battle isn’t over, especially for those left behind by gaps in access or hit hardest by the lasting effects of lifesaving treatments.
