American Cancer Society · 2026 Report

The State
of Cancer
in America

Every year, millions of Americans face a diagnosis. Understanding the numbers is the first step toward changing them.

Data · Cancer Facts & Figures 2026 · ACS Surveillance Research

Key Numbers · 2026

New cancer cases expected in 2026

Excludes basal & squamous cell skin cancers

People expected to die from cancer

~1,700 deaths per day

Americans living with a cancer history

As of January 1, 2025

Americans will develop cancer in their lifetime

Based on 2019–2022 incidence data

Progress Made

Cancer death rates have fallen 34% since their 1991 peak.

Advances in treatment, reductions in smoking, and earlier detection have saved an estimated 4.8 million lives since 1991.

Prostate (localized) — 5-yr survival>99%
Melanoma (all stages) — 5-yr survival95%
Breast, female (all stages) — 5-yr survival92%
Colorectal (all stages) — 5-yr survival65%
Lung & Bronchus (all stages) — 5-yr survival28%
Pancreas (all stages) — 5-yr survival13%

Leading Cancers · 2026

Where the burden falls heaviest.

Top New Cases

  • 1Prostate333,830
  • 2Female Breast321,910
  • 3Lung & Bronchus229,410
  • 4Colorectal158,850
  • 5Melanoma of Skin112,000
  • 6Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma79,320

Top Causes of Death

  • 1Lung & Bronchus124,990
  • 2Colorectal55,230
  • 3Pancreas52,740
  • 4Female Breast42,140
  • 5Prostate36,320
  • 6Liver30,980

The Opportunity

40%

of new diagnoses are
potentially preventable

About 850,000 cases in 2026 could have been avoided through changes in known risk factors: smoking, diet, body weight, and alcohol.

Routine screening can prevent many colorectal and most cervical cancers entirely by catching precancerous lesions before they progress.

19%
Cigarette Smoking
The #1 preventable cause of cancer in the US
8%
Excess Body Weight
Linked to at least 13 cancer types
5%
Alcohol Consumption
Risk increases even at moderate levels
4.8M
Lives Saved Since 1991
Due to falling cancer death rates

Early Detection · ACS Guidelines

Screening saves lives.
Know your schedule.

Breast
Start at 45
Annual mammography. Option to begin at 40.
Cervical
Ages 25–65
HPV test every 5 years, or Pap alone every 3 years.
Colorectal
Start at 45
Colonoscopy every 10 years, or annual stool test.
Lung
Ages 50–80
Annual low-dose CT for 20+ pack-year smokers.
Prostate
Discuss at 50
PSA with shared decision-making. Age 45 for Black men.

Health Equity

Cancer doesn't affect
everyone equally.

Racial, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities shape who gets diagnosed, who gets screened, and who survives.

37%
Higher breast cancer death rate
Black women vs. White women — despite lower incidence. Gap has persisted since the mid-2000s.
2–4×
Prostate cancer mortality in Black men
Compared to men of other racial/ethnic groups. Black men have the highest documented incidence in the world.
80%
Higher cervical cancer death rate
Native American women vs. White women. AIAN people have the highest overall cancer burden of any group studied.
63%
5-yr survival: uterine cancer in Black women
Compared to 85% in White women — one of the starkest racial survival gaps in all of cancer care.