2025 U.S. Cancer Report: Progress, Setbacks, and the Impact of COVID-19
Cancer affects millions of Americans every year, but the good news is that there has been steady progress in fighting this disease. The 2025 Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer—put together by the CDC, NCI, ACS, and NAACCR—shares important updates about cancer cases, deaths, and trends across the United States. It also looks closely at how the COVID-19 pandemic changed cancer statistics.
Here’s what you need to know.
Key Findings From the 2025 Report
1. Cancer Death Rates Are Still Falling
The number of people dying from cancer has been going down for more than two decades. Between 2018 and 2022, cancer death rates dropped by about 1.5% each year. This is great news, but it’s worth noting that the pace of improvement has slowed compared to earlier years, when death rates were falling about 2.1% per year.
Why the slowdown? Experts believe several factors may be at play, including pandemic disruptions to treatment and screening.
2. Cancer Diagnoses: A Mixed Picture
Men: The overall rate of new cancer cases stayed stable between 2013 and 2021.
Women: The rate of new cancer cases rose slightly (by about 0.3% per year) between 2003 and 2021.
While stability is good news for men, the slight rise among women points to the need for better prevention and early detection strategies.
3. COVID-19 Disrupted Cancer Diagnosis
In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, there was a noticeable drop in new cancer diagnoses across all groups.
This wasn’t because cancer suddenly became less common—it happened because fewer people were going to the doctor. Many avoided routine screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies due to fears about COVID-19 or limited access to healthcare services.
By 2021, the number of new diagnoses bounced back close to normal. However, this disruption highlighted how crucial early detection is in successfully treating cancer.
4. Childhood Cancer Trends Are Changing
Among White children, childhood cancer rates have slightly declined since 2015. However, rates continue to increase among:
Asian children
Hispanic children
American Indian/Alaska Native children.
These differences show that racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare still exist and need urgent attention.
5. More Late-Stage Cancer Diagnoses
The pandemic’s impact on screening led to more cancers being caught at later stages—when they are harder to treat.
This was especially true for cancers that can be caught early with regular screenings, such as:
Breast cancer
Cervical cancer
Colorectal cancer
Late-stage diagnosis often means more aggressive treatment and lower chances of survival, making early screening even more important moving forward.
Why This Report Matters
The 2025 report gives us a mixed but mostly hopeful message:
Progress continues: Overall death rates are still falling, thanks to better treatments, early detection, and prevention.
COVID-19 challenges: The pandemic disrupted cancer care, but systems have largely recovered.
More work to do: Disparities between different groups, late-stage diagnoses, and rising cancer rates in some populations show that we cannot become complacent.
This report is a reminder of how critical routine screenings, healthcare access, and equity efforts are in the ongoing fight against cancer.
Moving Forward
The cancer community has shown incredible resilience. Moving forward, public health efforts must focus on:
Encouraging people to return to routine screenings
Expanding access to preventive care, especially for underserved groups
Researching why cancer rates are rising in some populations
Investing in treatments that continue to save lives
With these efforts, we can continue to make even greater strides in reducing the burden of cancer for everyone.
Reference
For more information on how HuMOLYTE can support your gut health during chemotherapy, visit our product page or consult your health care provider.
This blog was reviewed by Dr. Sourabh Kharait.
This blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment plan, hydration strategies, or diet. The information provided here is based on general insights and may not apply to individual circumstances.
