Today, the American Cancer Society (ACS) published its annual report, Cancer Statistics, 2025, which details important data about cancer trends and facts. The latest statistics reveal a significant decline in the cancer death rate—34% from 1991 through 2022 in the United States—avoiding around 4.5 million fatalities. However, this positive trend is threatened by rising incidence rates for various cancer types, particularly among women and younger adults, which is changing the pattern of the disease’s impact. For instance, women aged 50 to 64 now have higher incidence rates than men, and in women under 50, the rates are currently 82% higher than those of males, a rise from 51% in 2002. This trend is also evident in lung cancer, where women under 65 now have a higher incidence than men. These critical findings are released today in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, along with its accessible companion report, Cancer Facts & Figures 2025, available at cancer.org.
“It’s encouraging to see ongoing declines in cancer-related deaths attributed to a decrease in smoking, advancements in treatment, and more effective early detection,” stated Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director of surveillance research at the ACS and the primary author of the report. “However, this achievement is overshadowed by the rising number of cases among younger and middle-aged women, many of whom are caregivers, and by a shifting cancer burden that is moving from men to women, reminiscent of the early 1900s when the disease was more prevalent in women.”
In 2025, there are projected to be 2,041,910 new cancer diagnoses in the U.S.—approximately 5,600 each day—and about 618,120 cancer-related deaths. The ACS researchers compiled these projections and the latest statistics on cancer occurrence and outcomes using data from central cancer registries (up to 2021) and mortality statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics (up to 2022).
The report also points out the lack of progress against pancreatic cancer, the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. Both incidence and mortality rates are on the rise, and the five-year survival rate stands at only 8% for 90% of diagnosed cases of pancreatic exocrine tumors.
“Given the urgent need to improve outcomes, the ACS is committed to advancing efforts that support the development of new treatments for cancer patients and care for survivors,” said Dr. William Dahut, the chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society. “As the leading non-governmental, non-profit funder of cancer research in the U.S., we are currently funding over $450 million in grants to researchers. Our mission is to uncover solutions that will save lives.”
Additional insights from the report include:
- While overall cancer death rates are declining, mortality rates for oral cavity and pancreatic cancers are rising in both genders, along with uterine corpus (endometrial) and liver cancers in women.
- Health disparities in cancer mortality remain troubling, with Native Americans facing death rates 2-3 times higher than White individuals for cancers of the kidney, liver, stomach, and cervical cancers. Black individuals are twice as likely to die from prostate, stomach, and uterine corpus cancers compared to White individuals and 50% more likely to die from preventable cervical cancer.
- There are continuing increases in incidence rates for common cancers, such as breast (female), prostate (with the steepest rise at 3% per year from 2014-2021), pancreatic, uterine corpus, melanoma (female), liver (female), and oral cancers related to the human papillomavirus.
- New cases of colorectal cancer have risen among both men and women under 65, along with an increase in cervical cancer among women aged 30-44.
- Incidence rates for children (ages 14 and under) have declined recently after decades of increases but continue to rise among adolescents (ages 15-19). Since 1970, mortality rates have decreased by 70% in children and 63% in adolescents, primarily due to improved leukemia treatments.
“Disparities in cancer outcomes for various racial and ethnic groups represent a significant barrier to progress against cancer,” remarked Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president of surveillance and health equity science at the American Cancer Society and senior study author. “Addressing discrimination and inequality in cancer care is essential to diminish this persistent gap and make strides towards ending cancer as we know it for all populations.”
“The findings of this report highlight the urgent need for increased investment in cancer treatment and care, including equitable screening programs targeted at underserved patients and survivors. Screening is crucial for early detection, and widening access to these services can save many lives,” noted Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, interim CEO of the American Cancer Society and the ACS Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). “We also need to respond to emerging trends in cancer incidence, particularly among women. Collaborative efforts among healthcare providers, lawmakers, and communities must be prioritized to evaluate where and why mortality rates are on the rise.”
Contributors to this report from the ACS include Tyler Kratzer, Angela Giaquinto, and Dr. Hyuna Sung.
