Cancer Survival Rate Jumps to 70% in the U.S.

Cancer survival rates have climbed dramatically over the past 50 years, giving hope to millions facing a diagnosis that once felt like a death sentence.

In the mid-1970s, only half of people diagnosed with cancer lived five years or more. Today, that number has jumped to 70%, meaning seven in 10 people with cancer will celebrate their fifth anniversary after diagnosis.

About 18.6 million Americans are cancer survivors today. That's one out of every 18 people in the country, and by 2035, researchers expect that number to reach 22 million.

Rebecca Siegel, Scientific Director at the American Cancer Society, credits the progress to a winning combination. "The success in declining death rate is due to a combination of cancer prevention strategies including vaccinations, education programs about healthy eating, exercising, and not smoking, improvements in screening and early detection, and advances in cancer treatment," she explains.

The American Cancer Society has been a driving force behind these breakthroughs. Since 1946, the organization has invested more than $5 billion in cancer research, making it the largest nonprofit funder of cancer research outside the federal government.

Santa Clarita recently joined the celebration during National Cancer Survivors Month. The local chapter of the American Cancer Society hosted its largest Relay For Life event yet, aiming to raise $375,000 for research and patient support programs.

The Ripple Effect

These survival gains touch nearly every family in America. More parents are watching their children grow up, more grandparents are meeting new grandchildren, and more friends are keeping the people they love.

The research funding doesn't just save lives today. It creates a ripple effect that benefits future generations, as each breakthrough becomes the foundation for the next medical advance.

Communities like Santa Clarita are proving that local action creates global impact. Every dollar raised at a hometown relay event contributes to research that saves lives worldwide.

June 7 marks National Cancer Survivors Day, when people around the world will honor survivors and celebrate the progress that's making cancer increasingly survivable for everyone.