Cancer Survivor Rates Hit 70% as Treatments Improve

When Jaqueline White heard her doctor say "carcinoma" in 2012, her world stopped. The Columbus, Georgia school teacher had no family history of cancer, and at stage three breast cancer, the diagnosis felt overwhelming.

Today, White is cancer free. She's joined by more than four million women in the U.S. who have beaten breast cancer, and the numbers keep getting better.

The American Cancer Society reports that 70% of cancer patients now survive five years or longer after diagnosis. That's a significant jump from previous decades, and doctors say the trend is accelerating.

Dr. Wally Curran, Chief of Oncology at Piedmont, points to three main factors driving survival rates up. Americans are living healthier lives with less smoking and drinking. Exercise rates have increased. Most importantly, screening technology has improved dramatically.

Lung cancer shows the most dramatic improvement. Early detection tools for breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers catch tumors when they're most treatable.

White credits her survival to faith and community support. Throughout her treatment, friends connected her with other survivors who shared advice and encouragement. Strangers became friends. Fear transformed into hope.

Why This Inspires

White's journey reflects a larger truth that often gets lost in medical statistics. Behind every percentage point increase in survival rates are real people who get to see their children graduate, celebrate anniversaries, and wake up to ordinary mornings that feel extraordinary.

The improvement in cancer outcomes represents decades of research, billions in funding, and countless clinical trials. But it also represents communities rallying around neighbors, survivors mentoring newly diagnosed patients, and doctors refusing to give up on finding better treatments.

For anyone facing a cancer diagnosis today, the odds are better than they've ever been. Regular checkups, healthy habits, and early screening save lives.

White has a message for those in treatment now: "Be strong. You can get through this."