While the numbers paint a hopeful picture of progress, with the overall five-year cancer survival rate in the U.S. climbing from just 49% in the 1970s to 68% today, a deeper look reveals a complex story of triumphs, disparities, and sobering realities.
Key Takeaways
- The 5-year relative survival rate for all invasive cancers combined in the US (2014-2020) is 68%
- Overall cancer 5-year survival rate in the US improved from 49% in the 1970s to 68% in 2014-2020
- Age-standardized 5-year net survival for all cancers in England (2016-2020) is 54.5% for males and 60.2% for females
- 5-year survival for breast cancer (female) all stages US 2014-2020 is 91.3%
- Localized breast cancer 5-year survival US is 100%, regional 86.3%, distant 31.9%
- Prostate cancer 5-year survival US all stages 97.8%, localized 100%
- Breast cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 99.3% (2014-2020)
- Breast cancer regional stage 5-year survival US 86.6%
- Breast cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 31.2%
- 5-year breast cancer survival US age 20-49 is 90.5%, age 65+ 90.2%
- Prostate cancer 5-year survival US Black males 96.8% vs White 98.1%
- Lung cancer 5-year survival US females 28.2% vs males 24.3%
- Overall cancer survival US improved from 50% (1975-1977) to 68% (2014-2020)
- Breast cancer 5-year survival US rose from 75% (1975) to 91% (2020)
- Prostate cancer survival US from 68% (1975) to 98% (2020)
US cancer survival rates show significant progress but vary widely by disease stage and country.
Demographic-Specific Survival
- 5-year breast cancer survival US age 20-49 is 90.5%, age 65+ 90.2%
- Prostate cancer 5-year survival US Black males 96.8% vs White 98.1%
- Lung cancer 5-year survival US females 28.2% vs males 24.3%
- Colorectal cancer 5-year survival US Blacks 59.4% vs Whites 66.1%
- Breast cancer 5-year survival US Hispanic females 92.4% vs Non-Hispanic White 91.6%
- Pancreatic cancer 5-year survival lower in Blacks (10.2%) vs Whites (13.1%) US
- Prostate cancer age <55 5-year survival US nearly 100%, age 75+ 92.3%
- Ovarian cancer 5-year survival US age <65 52.8% vs 65+ 38.7%
- Leukemia 5-year survival US children <20 86.3% vs adults 57.1%
- Melanoma 5-year survival US males 93.5% vs females 95.8%
- Liver cancer 5-year survival US Asian/Pacific Islander 27.1% vs Black 18.6%
- Cervical cancer 5-year survival US Blacks 58.3% vs Whites 69.3%
- Uterine cancer 5-year survival US Blacks 63.6% vs Whites 85.9%
- Kidney cancer 5-year survival US age 45-64 82.5% vs 75+ 64.3%
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 5-year survival US age <45 88.6% vs 65+ 59.1%
- Brain cancer 5-year survival US age 20-44 74.1% vs 65+ 7.6%
- Stomach cancer 5-year survival US Asian 47.7% vs Black 32.1%
- Bladder cancer 5-year survival US males 76.5% vs females 81.9%
- Thyroid cancer 5-year survival US age <55 99.9% vs 55+ 94.5%
- Colorectal cancer females US 67.1% vs males 63.4% 5-year survival
- All cancers 5-year survival US rural Blacks 60% vs urban Whites 71%
- Breast cancer survival higher in married women (92%) vs unmarried (88%) US
- Prostate cancer survival lower in low SES groups by 5-10% US
- Lung cancer survival in US Native Americans 22% vs overall 26%
Demographic-Specific Survival Interpretation
Despite overall progress, these statistics reveal a sobering map of survival where your age, race, gender, and even zip code can still act as powerful, and often unjust, predictors of your fate against cancer.
General/Overall Survival Statistics
- The 5-year relative survival rate for all invasive cancers combined in the US (2014-2020) is 68%
- Overall cancer 5-year survival rate in the US improved from 49% in the 1970s to 68% in 2014-2020
- Age-standardized 5-year net survival for all cancers in England (2016-2020) is 54.5% for males and 60.2% for females
- Global 5-year survival for all cancers excluding non-melanoma skin cancer is estimated at 48% in high-income countries
- In Australia, the 5-year survival rate for all cancers diagnosed 2015-2019 is 69% overall
- US SEER data shows 10-year relative survival for all cancers (2012-2018) at 59%
- 5-year survival for all cancers in Canada (2014-2018) is 63.4%
- European average 5-year survival for all cancers (2010-2014) is 52.5%
- In Japan, 5-year survival for all cancers (2014-2016) reached 66.0%
- South Korea's 5-year survival for all cancers improved to 71.1% in 2016-2020
- 5-year relative survival for all cancers in US whites is 70%, in Blacks 64%
- Pediatric cancers under age 15 have 86% 5-year survival in US (2014-2020)
- 5-year survival for all cancers diagnosed at age 65+ in US is 60%
- Global estimate: 5-year survival for all cancers is 35% in low-income countries
- In the UK, 1-year survival for all cancers (2016-2020) is 76.9%
- US 5-year survival for localized all cancers is 90%
- Median survival for metastatic all cancers in US is 12 months
- 5-year survival for all cancers in females US is 70%, males 67%
- In France, 5-year net survival for all cancers (2015-2020) is 58%
- Brazil's 5-year survival for all cancers is around 50%
- 15-year survival for all cancers in US SEER is 54%
- Conditional 5-year survival for all cancers 5 years post-diagnosis in US is 85%
- In Germany, 5-year survival for all cancers (2015-2019) is 65%
- US rural vs urban 5-year all cancer survival: 65% vs 69%
- 5-year survival for all cancers post-surgery in US is 75%
- In India, 5-year survival for all cancers is estimated at 30-40%
- Nordic countries average 5-year all cancer survival 65%
- US 5-year survival for all cancers diagnosed 2000-2019 improved by 10%
- 5-year survival for all cancers in Hispanics US is 72%
- Global 1-year survival for all cancers is 70% in high HDI countries
General/Overall Survival Statistics Interpretation
While there is heartening global progress in the five-year survival rates for cancer—with some nations now showing figures above 70%—the sobering reality is that your odds still depend heavily on where you live, your race, your gender, and, most critically, how early it is caught, as starkly evidenced by the chasm between a 90% survival for localized disease and a median of just 12 months for metastatic cases.
Site-Specific Cancer Survival
- 5-year survival for breast cancer (female) all stages US 2014-2020 is 91.3%
- Localized breast cancer 5-year survival US is 100%, regional 86.3%, distant 31.9%
- Prostate cancer 5-year survival US all stages 97.8%, localized 100%
- Lung and bronchus cancer 5-year survival US 26.7%, localized 63%, distant 8.4%
- Colorectal cancer 5-year survival US 65.2%, localized 90.9%
- Melanoma of skin 5-year survival US 94.6%, distant 36.3%
- Bladder cancer 5-year survival US 78.8%, in situ 96%
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 5-year survival US 75.4%
- Kidney and renal pelvis cancer 5-year survival US 76.4%, localized 92.9%
- Uterine corpus cancer 5-year survival US 84.1%, localized 94.9%
- Leukemia 5-year survival US 65.7%, acute myeloid 31.9%
- Pancreatic cancer 5-year survival US 12.5%, localized 44.3%
- Liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer 5-year survival US 21.4%, localized 37.3%
- Ovarian cancer 5-year survival US 49.1%, localized 92.4%
- Thyroid cancer 5-year survival US 98.7%, distant 55.5%
- Esophageal cancer 5-year survival US 21.6%, localized 48.7%
- Brain and other nervous system 5-year survival US 36.1%
- Stomach cancer 5-year survival US 36.3%, localized 75.5%
- Cervical cancer 5-year survival US 66.6%, localized 91.2%
- Oral cavity and pharynx 5-year survival US 68.5%, localized 86.6%
- Multiple myeloma 5-year survival US 59.8%
- Testicular cancer 5-year survival US 95.3%, distant 73.6%
- Hodgkin lymphoma 5-year survival US 89.5%
- Mesothelioma 5-year survival US 12.5%, localized 24.1%
- Kaposi sarcoma 5-year survival US 75.1%
- Breast cancer 5-year survival in UK 87.7% (2016-2020)
- Prostate cancer 5-year survival UK 89.7%
- Lung cancer 5-year survival UK 17.9%
- Colorectal cancer 5-year survival UK 59.9%
- Pancreatic cancer 5-year survival UK 7.3%
Site-Specific Cancer Survival Interpretation
The data screams that catching cancer early is a staggering advantage, turning many battles from grim odds into near-certain victories, while highlighting the sobering challenge of tumors that master the art of hide and seek.
Stage-Specific Survival
- Breast cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 99.3% (2014-2020)
- Breast cancer regional stage 5-year survival US 86.6%
- Breast cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 31.2%
- Prostate cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 100.0%
- Prostate cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 34.9%
- Lung cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 63.1%
- Lung cancer regional stage 5-year survival US 35.7%
- Lung cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 8.7%
- Colorectal cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 90.4%
- Colorectal cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 15.3%
- Melanoma localized stage 5-year survival US 100.0%
- Melanoma distant stage 5-year survival US 35.2%
- Bladder cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 69.5%
- Bladder cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 6.4%
- Kidney cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 92.6%
- Kidney cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 17.3%
- Uterine cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 94.8%
- Uterine cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 20.1%
- Pancreatic cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 44.1%
- Pancreatic cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 3.4%
- Liver cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 37.0%
- Liver cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 4.2%
- Ovarian cancer localized stage 5-year survival US 92.2%
- Ovarian cancer distant stage 5-year survival US 31.3%
- Colorectal cancer stage I 5-year survival US 91.4%
- Colorectal cancer stage IV 5-year survival US 14.8%
- Lung cancer stage IA 5-year survival US 80-90%
- Breast cancer stage 0 (DCIS) 5-year survival US nearly 100%
- Prostate cancer stage IV 5-year survival US 30.8%
- Bladder cancer stage 0 5-year survival US 97.0%
- Melanoma stage IIB 5-year survival US 83%
- Pancreatic cancer stage I 5-year survival US 42%
Stage-Specific Survival Interpretation
While catching cancer early can feel like winning a coin toss with fantastic odds, waiting for it to spread turns the game into a desperate and often lopsided gamble for time.
Trends and Improvements Over Time
- Overall cancer survival US improved from 50% (1975-1977) to 68% (2014-2020)
- Breast cancer 5-year survival US rose from 75% (1975) to 91% (2020)
- Prostate cancer survival US from 68% (1975) to 98% (2020)
- Colorectal cancer survival US increased 28% (1975) to 65% (2020)
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survival US from 31% (1975) to 75% (2020)
- Leukemia survival US children from 58% (1975) to 86% (2020)
- Lung cancer survival US improved from 12% (1975) to 27% (2020)
- Melanoma survival US from 80% (1975) to 95% (2020)
- Kidney cancer survival US from 50% (1975) to 76% (2020)
- UK all cancers 5-year survival improved from 44% (1980s) to 54% (2010s)
- Global cancer survival gap: high-income 63% vs low-income 30% 5-year (2010-2020)
- US Black-White survival disparity narrowed from 13% to 6% for all cancers 1990-2020
- Childhood cancer survival US from 63% (1975) to 86% (2020)
- Pancreatic cancer survival US slight improvement from 3% (1975) to 12% (2020)
- Liver cancer survival US doubled from 10% (2000) to 21% (2020)
- Australia all cancers survival from 55% (1982) to 69% (2019)
- Japan all cancers 5-year survival from 52% (1990s) to 66% (2010s)
- South Korea cancer survival from 42.6% (1993) to 71.1% (2020)
- Europe CONCORD-3 study: breast survival improved to 90% in many countries 2010-2014
- US ovarian cancer survival stable at ~49% over decades but screening efforts ongoing
- Thyroid cancer survival US near 99% since 1975 with minimal change
- Bladder cancer survival US improved from 73% (1975) to 79% (2020)
- Esophageal cancer survival US from 5% (1975) to 22% (2020)
- Brain cancer survival US children improved to 75% for some types
- Multiple myeloma survival US tripled from 24% (1975) to 60% (2020)
- Hodgkin lymphoma survival US from 72% (1975) to 90% (2020)
- Testicular cancer survival US stable at 95% since 1975
- Cervical cancer survival US from 69% (1975) to 67% slight decline due to late stage
Trends and Improvements Over Time Interpretation
The statistics tell a clear story: humanity is steadily winning a generational war against cancer, even if the most formidable tumors remain grim and stubborn enemies.
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