Fewer Americans are dying from cancer than they were three decades ago. Better treatments, less smoking and earlier detection are saving lives. But a new report shows that not every community is seeing the same progress.

The American Association for Cancer Research released its 2026 Cancer Progress Report on Sept. 16. The report found that the U.S. cancer death rate fell 35% between 1991 and 2024. That drop represents more than 4.8 million cancer deaths avoided.

People are also living longer after a cancer diagnosis. The five-year survival rate for all cancers combined was 49% in the mid-1970s. It reached 71% for people diagnosed from 2016 through 2022.

The progress is important. But the numbers do not tell the whole story.

Cancer still affects some communities more than others. Black, Latino, Native American and other underserved communities can face barriers to screening and care. These may include cost, lack of insurance, transportation, fewer nearby health services and problems getting follow-up care.

The AACR’s separate 2026 Cancer Disparities Progress Report found that some gaps have narrowed. In 1991, the overall cancer death rate was 34% higher among Black people than White people. By 2024, the difference had fallen to 9%. Yet major disparities remain across several cancers and communities.

For families, the message behind these numbers is simple: Cancer care is getting better, but getting the right care at the right time still matters.

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When cancer is found can greatly affect what happens next.

Breast cancer offers a clear example. The five-year survival rate is nearly 100% when the disease has not spread beyond the breast. When breast cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, that rate falls to 34%.

The pattern is similar for prostate cancer. Five-year survival is nearly 100% when the disease remains local. It falls to 40% after the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.

Those numbers help explain why doctors place so much importance on screening.

Screening looks for cancer, or changes that may become cancer, before a person has symptoms. Depending on a person’s age and risk, that may include tests for breast, colorectal, cervical or lung cancer.

But knowing that screening is important does not mean everyone can get it.

AACR reports that people in underserved communities continue to face barriers to routine screening and follow-up care. Lack of insurance, limited access to quality care, discrimination and poor communication with health care providers can all play a role.

The disparities can be seen in the numbers. AACR reports that lung cancer screening has an overall uptake of only 19%. People without insurance are also less likely to receive recommended cancer screenings than people with private insurance.

This can become a real problem for a family.

A person may know that a colon cancer screening is due but have no regular doctor. A mother may put off a mammogram because she cannot miss work. Someone in a rural community may have to travel a long distance for a specialist. Another patient may complete a screening but struggle to get the next test after an abnormal result.

Researchers are finding ways to address some of these barriers.

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One approach is patient navigation. Navigators can help patients understand test results, schedule appointments, find transportation and work through insurance or other problems. AACR cited research showing that navigation increased breast cancer screening by 13.8 percentage points and cervical cancer screening by 15.6 percentage points.

Technology may also change how doctors find cancer.

In a trial of more than 105,000 women, using artificial intelligence to support mammogram screening led to 12% fewer cancers being found between regular screenings. It also reduced the time radiologists spent reading the images by 44%.

Scientists are also studying liquid biopsies. These tests search blood or other body fluids for material released by tumors. Researchers hope they may one day help find some cancers that do not have routine screening tests.

Treatment is changing quickly, too.

From July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, the Food and Drug Administration approved 11 new cancer treatments. It also approved a new device for pancreatic cancer and expanded the use of five existing treatments.

Some newer medicines target specific changes inside cancer cells. Others help the body’s immune system attack cancer.

But new technology also raises an important health equity question: Will everyone be able to benefit from it?

AACR warns that new early-detection tools need more study to make sure they do not widen existing cancer disparities. The concern is important as medicine moves toward more personalized cancer care.

There is another change researchers are watching.

Cancer is rising among some younger adults. People ages 18 to 49 were the only age group to experience a steady increase in overall cancer incidence from 1995 through 2021. The increase in early-onset cancer has also been greater among women.

For patients, these findings do not mean that every symptom is cancer. They do show why knowing your family history, understanding your personal risk and talking with a health care provider about recommended screenings can matter.

More than 18.6 million people with a history of cancer were living in the United States at the start of 2025. That number is expected to pass 22 million by 2035.

The new report shows how far cancer care has come. It also points to the work that remains.

The next major advance may come from a new drug, an AI tool or a blood test that finds cancer earlier. But those discoveries will have their greatest impact when patients can reach them. Closing gaps in screening, follow-up care and treatment will help determine whether the next chapter of cancer progress reaches every community.