U.S. Cancer Death Rates Fall 35 Percent Since 1991, Saving Nearly 5 Million Lives

Cancer death rates in the U.S. fell 35 percent from 1991 through 2026, according to a report published June 24 by the American Association for Cancer Research. The decline equals nearly 5 million fewer cancer deaths and stems mainly from higher screening rates and better treatments, NBC News reported.

The gains have not been uniform.S. racial or ethnic group, Mariana Stern, chair of the report and a professor at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, said.

Black people remain about twice as likely to die from multiple myeloma and cancers of the stomach, prostate and gallbladder as white people. Breast cancer mortality is 35 percent higher among Black women than white women, and colorectal cancer mortality rates are also higher among Black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. Screening rates show clear differences.

In 2023, 53 percent of Hispanic people, 57 percent of Asian and American Indian/Alaska Native people, and 67 percent of white people were current on colonoscopies. Increased screening accounted for 79 percent of colorectal cancer deaths averted. The Hispanic population recorded annual increases of 4.7 percent among men.

Alex Valdez, 40, learned he had colorectal cancer at age 38 during a colonoscopy for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. “When the pathology came back, they said that I had a 7-centimeter tumor on the other side of my colon and said that I had cancer for probably 1½ to two years without even knowing,” Valdez said.

Cervical cancer screening rates are lower among Asian and Hispanic women than white women, and women in poor counties are screened less often.