Survival statistics are most useful when the measurement is clear. The figures below combine five-year relative survival rates with estimated U.S. cancer cases and deaths for 2026. They also show how strongly stage at diagnosis can affect the reported rate.
Contents
- How to read these survival statistics
- Cancer survival rates by type
- Estimated cases and deaths in 2026
- Why stage changes the outlook
- Breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer
- Bladder, cervical, ovarian, and thyroid cancer
- Lung, stomach, and myeloma survival
- Leukemia prevalence and lifetime risk
How to read these survival statistics
A five-year relative survival rate compares the survival of people with a particular cancer with the expected survival of similar people in the general population. It is a population measure, not a prediction for one person. The cancer-specific rates in this article are identified as five-year relative survival when the supplied source uses that wording.
The 2026 case and death counts are estimates, not completed counts. They describe the United States and the year 2026. The stage figures describe survival by diagnosis category; “localized,” “regional,” “distant,” “unknown stage,” and “in situ” should not be treated as interchangeable categories.
The source label for the broad cancer comparisons is Common Cancer Sites — Cancer Stat Facts. Additional stage-specific figures retain the relevant Cancer Stat Facts label supplied for each cancer.
Cancer survival rates by type
The broad five-year relative survival figures span a wide range. Thyroid cancer is reported at 98.3%, prostate cancer at 98.2%, and female breast cancer at 91.9%. Melanoma of the skin is 94.7%, testis cancer is 94.6%, and Hodgkin lymphoma is 89.3%.
Other reported rates include 84.0? No unsupported rate is added here; the supplied figures identify bladder cancer at 79.1%, kidney and renal pelvis cancer at 79.2%, uterus cancer at 80.9%, non-Hodgkin lymphoma at 74.3%, small intestine cancer at 71.8%, and anus cancer at 70.9%.
The middle of the supplied range includes cancer of any site at 69.9%, oral cavity and pharynx cancer at 69.9%, leukemia at 68.6%, bone and joint cancer at 68.7%, cervix uteri cancer at 68.8%, and myeloma at 63.7%. Larynx cancer is reported at 62.5%, while ovary cancer is 52.0%.
The lowest broad rates in the supplied figures are stomach cancer at 39.8%, brain and other nervous system cancer at 32.9%, lung and bronchus cancer at 29.5%, esophageal cancer at 22.2%, liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer at 21.9%, and pancreatic cancer at 13.7%. These are population-level rates and do not describe an individual diagnosis.
Estimated cases and deaths in 2026
The following estimates are for the United States in 2026 and come from Common Cancer Sites — Cancer Stat Facts. They are presented together to make the scale of the estimates easier to compare.
| Cancer type | Estimated new cases | Estimated deaths | Relative survival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prostate | 333,830 | 36,320 | 98.2% |
| Female breast | 324,580 | 42,670 | 91.9% |
| Lung and bronchus | 229,410 | 124,990 | 29.5% |
| Colon and rectum | 158,850 | 55,230 | 65.4% |
| Melanoma of the skin | 112,000 | 8,510 | 94.7% |
| Bladder | 84,530 | 17,870 | 79.1% |
| Kidney and renal pelvis | 80,450 | 15,160 | 79.2% |
| Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | 79,320 | 19,970 | 74.3% |
| Uterus | 68,270 | 14,450 | 80.9% |
| Pancreatic | 67,530 | 52,740 | 13.7% |
Several other 2026 estimates are notable. Leukemia has 67,790 estimated new cases and 23,910 estimated deaths. Thyroid cancer has 45,240 estimated new cases and 2,320 estimated deaths. Liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer has 42,340 estimated new cases and 30,980 estimated deaths. Myeloma has 36,000 estimated new cases and 10,850 estimated deaths.
The supplied estimates also include stomach cancer at 31,510 new cases and 10,740 deaths; brain and other nervous system cancer at 24,740 new cases and 18,350 deaths; esophageal cancer at 22,530 new cases and 16,290 deaths; and ovary cancer at 21,010 new cases and 12,450 deaths.
Smaller estimated totals include cervix uteri cancer at 13,490 new cases and 4,200 deaths, anus cancer at 11,270 new cases and 1,700 deaths, and bone and joint cancer at 4,110 new cases and 2,210 deaths. All of these counts are estimates for 2026 rather than final observations.
Why stage changes the outlook
Stage-specific statistics show why an overall rate can conceal important differences. For female breast cancer, 64% of cases are localized at diagnosis. The five-year relative survival rate is 100.0% for localized cases, 87.5% for regional cases, 33.8% for distant cases, and 70.6% when stage is unknown. Source: Female Breast Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.
Colorectal cancer is 34% localized at diagnosis in the supplied figures. Its five-year relative survival is 91.3% for localized disease, 75.2% for regional disease, 16.9% for distant disease, and 49.7% for unknown stage. Source: Colorectal Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.
The same pattern appears in lung and bronchus cancer: survival is 65.5% for localized disease, 38.2% for regional disease, 10.5% for distant disease, and 17.5% for unknown stage. Source: Lung and Bronchus Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.
Breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer
Prostate cancer has the highest estimated number of new cases among the cancers listed in the 2026 comparison table: 333,830. Its estimated deaths are 36,320, and its overall relative survival rate is 98.2%. By stage, localized and regional prostate cancer are each reported at 100.0% five-year relative survival. Distant disease is 40.1%, and unknown stage is 94.1%. Source: Prostate Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.
Female breast cancer has 324,580 estimated new cases and 42,670 estimated deaths in 2026, with an overall relative survival rate of 91.9%. The stage-specific figures range from 100.0% for localized disease to 33.8% for distant disease.
Colon and rectum cancer has 158,850 estimated new cases and 55,230 estimated deaths in 2026. Its overall relative survival rate is 65.4%. The localized, regional, distant, and unknown-stage rates are 91.3%, 75.2%, 16.9%, and 49.7%, respectively.
Bladder, cervical, ovarian, and thyroid cancer
Bladder cancer has 84,530 estimated new cases and 17,870 estimated deaths in 2026, with a 79.1% overall relative survival rate. Its reported five-year rates are 98.0% for in situ cases, 73.0% for localized disease, 41.8% for regional disease, 9.6% for distant disease, and 50.8% for unknown stage. Source: Bladder Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.
Cervix uteri cancer has 13,490 estimated new cases and 4,200 estimated deaths in 2026, with a 68.8% relative survival rate. Cervical cancer survival is 91.8% for localized disease, 64.0% for regional disease, 20.5% for distant disease, and 62.3% for unknown stage. Source: Cervical Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.
Ovary cancer has 21,010 estimated new cases and 12,450 estimated deaths in 2026, with an overall relative survival rate of 52.0%. The stage-specific rates are 91.9% for localized disease, 70.1% for regional disease, 31.5% for distant disease, and 38.5% for unknown stage. Source: Ovarian Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.
Thyroid cancer has 45,240 estimated new cases and 2,320 estimated deaths in 2026. Its overall relative survival is 98.3%; the reported rates are 99.9% for localized disease, 98.1% for regional disease, 48.3% for distant disease, and 91.9% for unknown stage. Source: Thyroid Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.
Lung, stomach, and myeloma survival
Lung and bronchus cancer has 229,410 estimated new cases and 124,990 estimated deaths in 2026. Its overall relative survival rate is 29.5%, compared with 65.5% for localized disease, 38.2% for regional disease, and 10.5% for distant disease.
Stomach cancer has 31,510 estimated new cases and 10,740 estimated deaths in 2026. The overall five-year relative survival rate is 39.8%. By stage, the supplied figures report 78.1% for localized disease, 39.0% for regional disease, 8.1% for distant disease, and 33.6% for unknown stage. Source: Stomach Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.
Myeloma has 36,000 estimated new cases and 10,850 estimated deaths in 2026, with an overall relative survival rate of 63.7%. The stage-specific rates are 82.1% for localized disease, 80.7% for regional disease, 63.0% for distant disease, and 69.0% for unknown stage. Source: Myeloma — Cancer Stat Facts.
Leukemia prevalence and lifetime risk
The supplied leukemia figures include both an outcome rate and measures of disease burden. Leukemia has a 68.6% five-year relative survival rate, 67,790 estimated new cases in 2026, and 23,910 estimated deaths in 2026. Source: Leukemia — Cancer Stat Facts.
In the United States, leukemia prevalence was 563,581 people in 2023. The same source reports an approximate lifetime risk of 1.6% for men and women. These are different measurements: prevalence counts people living with the condition at a specified time, while lifetime risk describes the approximate chance over a lifetime. The prevalence measurement is for 2023, whereas the case and death figures above are estimates for 2026.
The figures in this article should therefore be read with their time period, geography, cancer type, and stage category attached. An overall survival rate, a stage-specific survival rate, a prevalence count, and a forecasted annual case estimate answer different questions.