Introduction
Cancer remains a significant public health challenge in the United States, ranking as the second-leading cause of death overall and the primary cause of death among individuals under 85 years of age. Despite sustained declines in cancer mortality over recent decades, the nation faces persistent challenges, including increasing incidence for several common cancers, profound socioeconomic and racial disparities, and a potential rise in late-stage cancer diagnoses partly attributable to pandemic-related delays in care. This comprehensive report projects the cancer burden for 2026 based on state-of-the-art population-based data and assesses trends through 2023/2022 for mortality and incidence, respectively.
