The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has released its AACR Cancer Progress Report 2026, highlighting advances in cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship while emphasizing the role of sustained federal investment in cancer research.
Now in its 16th year, the report provides current data on cancer incidence, mortality, and survivorship and describes contributions from basic, translational, clinical, and population science research. It also features the experiences of seven cancer survivors whose stories illustrate the impact of recent advances in cancer research and patient care.
According to the report, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 11 new anticancer therapeutics between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Several represented first-of-their-kind treatments, including the first molecularly targeted therapy for a rare, aggressive brain tumor with a specific genetic alteration and the first approval of a proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC), a molecularly targeted approach that uses the cell's protein degradation machinery to kill cancer cells, for breast cancer.
Other firsts included the first immune checkpoint inhibitor approved for ovarian cancer and the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for marginal zone lymphoma.
During the same period, the FDA approved new uses for five previously approved anticancer therapeutics, as well as a wearable, noninvasive device for treating pancreatic cancer, an at-home human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection kit, and several AI-based tools designed to support early cancer detection and diagnosis.
Emerging technologies are expanding cancer research
The report also examines several areas that could influence cancer research and clinical care.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used across the research continuum, including basic research, drug development, screening, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Researchers have combined AI with advanced spatial imaging technologies to produce high-resolution maps showing the organization and interactions of cancer and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment.
In drug development, one AI model was used to screen approximately 10,000 human proteins against more than 500 million compounds, identifying more than 2 million candidate molecules. The report also describes applications of AI for interpreting medical images and analyzing complex digital tissue images, as well as potential uses in predicting patient outcomes, personalizing treatment, and improving clinical trial design.
Cancer vaccines are another area highlighted in the report. Advances in vaccine technologies are helping researchers identify tumor-specific targets and develop individualized approaches. The report describes studies involving individualized mRNA vaccines in pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and triple-negative breast cancer, as well as a small trial of Nous-209, an mRNA-based vaccine designed to stimulate an immune response against cells carrying Lynch syndrome-associated gene mutations.
The report notes that participants in these studies demonstrated immune responses or clinical outcomes that support continued investigation of cancer vaccines.
The report also examines the potential relationship between GLP-1 receptor agonists and cancer risk. Some studies have associated GLP-1 use with lower risks of certain obesity-related cancers, including esophageal and colorectal cancer. However, the report emphasizes that evidence remains inconsistent. A review of 48 clinical trials involving more than 94,000 participants found no significant reduction in overall obesity-related cancer risk, while other studies have reported increased risks for certain cancers with specific GLP-1 drugs.
The report therefore characterizes the potential role of GLP-1 drugs in cancer prevention as an area requiring further investigation.
Cancer mortality and survival continue to improve
The report cites a 35% decline in the overall cancer death rate in the United States between 1991 and 2024, corresponding to 4.8 million fewer cancer deaths. AACR attributes the progress to reductions in smoking rates as well as advances in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment.
Survival among patients with advanced disease has also improved. Across all cancers, the five-year relative survival rate for distant-stage disease more than doubled over the past three decades, rising from 17% in the mid-1990s to 36% during 2016–2022.
Despite these gains, cancer remains a major health burden. The report estimates that more than 2.1 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed and more than 626,000 people will die from cancer in the US in 2026. By 2050, annual cancer cases in the country are projected to exceed 2.5 million.
Survival also varies substantially by cancer type. Between 2016 and 2022, the five-year relative survival rate was 13.7% for pancreatic cancer and 6.6% for glioblastoma, compared with 91.9% for female breast cancer and 98.2% for prostate cancer.
The report additionally identifies rising rates of early-onset cancer among people ages 18 to 49 as a public health concern. Globally, cancer incidence in people younger than 50 increased by nearly 80% between 1990 and 2019, with colorectal, stomach, and esophageal cancers contributing disproportionately to the increase.
AACR President Keith Flaherty, MD, FAACR, chair of the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2026 Steering Committee, said, "Over the course of my 25-year career as a physician-scientist, I have witnessed a remarkable transformation in our understanding of cancer and how we diagnose and treat patients.
"Advances in genomics, immunology, and artificial intelligence have given us more insight than ever before into the complexities of cancer,” he added.
The report concludes with policy recommendations and a Call to Action focused on federal support for cancer research, scientific integrity, research infrastructure, cancer prevention and screening, clinical trials, and access to cancer care.
AACR CEO Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), said, "Advances in our understanding of cancer and in the technologies available to cancer researchers and oncologists mean that the promise and momentum of scientific discovery have never been greater."
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
