The 2026 Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer has been published. The report shows current trends in cancer incidence and deaths, with a special focus on lung cancer.

The study is part of a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. Key findings:

• Cancer prevalence across all types rose 0.4% annually among females from 2011-2022.
• Between 2013-2022, cancer prevalence among men stayed about the same.
• Lung cancer diagnoses declined in both men and women annually from 2018-2022, but the decline was slightly higher among men.
• Comprehensive biomarker testing for lung cancer is covered by insurance in 17 states as of August 2025.
• Cancer mortality declined in both males and females each year from 2019-2023 (1.6% and 1.1%, respectively). The annual decline in lung cancer deaths among men and women was 4.7% and 3.0%.

The authors attribute the overall decline in cancer mortality to the continued progress against lung cancer. Specifically, compared to the early 2000s:

• 50% fewer people are smoking.
• There has been a jump in early lung cancer diagnoses.
• 5-year relative survival for lung cancer has increased twofold. 

However, “Healthy, tobacco-free environments and access to preventive care, screening, timely diagnosis, state-of-the art treatment, and survivorship care may be important for sustaining progress in cancer prevention and control.”