Progress and Persistence: Navigating the 2026 ACS Cancer Report

The 2026 American Cancer Society (ACS) annual report brings a historic milestone to the forefront of the healthcare conversation: for the first time, the 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined has reached 70%.

This victory is a testament to decades of scientific investment, earlier detection, and more effective treatments. However, while survival is up, cancer incidence continues to rise for many common types, including breast, prostate, and uterine cancers. For health plans and digital health leaders, the data serves as both a celebration of progress and a call to action to address persistent care gaps and racial disparities.

At Ash, we believe that meeting patients where they are—at home—is the next frontier in maintaining this momentum.

Key Highlights from the 2026 Report

The 2026 projections estimate that approximately 2,114,850 new cancer cases and 626,140 cancer deaths will occur in the United States this year.

Survival Gains in Advanced Stages

One of the most encouraging trends is the improvement in survival for high-mortality and advanced cancers. Since the mid-1990s, 5-year survival for distant-stage (metastatic) disease has doubled, rising from 17% to 35%. Notable gains include:

• Myeloma: 32% to 62%
• Liver Cancer: 7% to 22%
• Lung Cancer: 15% to 28%

The Leading Cause of Mortality

Despite these gains, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death, projected to kill more people in 2026 than colorectal and pancreatic cancer combined.

Where Ash Can Impact: Closing Care Gaps

While treatment has improved, the "rebound" in cancer screening since the pandemic has been uneven, particularly among communities of color. Ash provides at-home testing solutions that directly target the cancers mentioned in the ACS report where early detection is vital.

Colorectal Cancer (CRC)

CRC is the second-leading cause of cancer death. While incidence has declined by about 1% per year over the last decade, it is increasing by 2.9% per year in people younger than 50. Fortunately, the USPSTF lowered the CRC recommended screening age to 45 in 2021, but it's critical that this younger population gets screened.

• Ash Solution: Our white-labeled FIT testing programs allow members to collect a stool sample at home. This high-utility screening method is essential for meeting HEDIS measures for colorectal cancer screening.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer accounts for nearly one-third of all cancer diagnoses in men. Alarmingly, advanced-stage diagnoses are increasing by roughly 4% to 5% per year.

• Ash Solution: We offer Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing through at-home self-collection. Utilizing Dried Blood Spot (DBS) cards or the Tasso device, members can bypass the lab and complete their screening discreetly.

Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is largely preventable through HPV vaccination and regular screening, yet incidence has stabilized rather than declined over the past decade.

• Ash Solution: At-home HPV testing is a powerful tool for closing care gaps, especially in healthcare deserts where in-person visits are difficult. By screening for key HPV biomarkers - like strains 16 and 18 that account for 70% of cervical cancer diagnoses - we can help members identify potential concerns early. 

Kidney Cancer

The report notes that two in three kidney cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage, which is a primary reason death rates continue to decrease.

• Ash Solution: Beyond cancer screening, our Kidney Function Panel (measuring eGFR, uACR, and more) helps manage chronic conditions that increase overall health risk - like cardio-kidney-metabolic conditions, a major focus for the CMS Access Model. 

Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities

The ACS report highlights stark disparities that require targeted intervention:

• Native American populations have the highest cancer mortality, with death rates nearly double those of White people for kidney, liver, stomach, and cervical cancers.
• Black men face a prostate cancer death rate approximately two to four times higher than any other racial group.
• Black women have the highest mortality rates for breast and uterine corpus cancers.

At-home health programs are a critical tool for health equity. By removing barriers like transportation, time constraints, and medical mistrust, Ash helps public health organizations and health plans reach underserved populations more effectively.

The Path Forward: Partnering with Ash

Decades of research have turned cancer from a death sentence into a manageable chronic disease for many. To keep this progress moving, we must ensure that screening is as accessible as possible.

The Ash Platform offers:

• White-Label Solutions: Fully branded kits and portals to maintain member trust and increase compliance.
• National Scale: A network of CLIA-/CAP-certified labs in all 50 states to help people in even the most rural of areas. 
• API Integration: Seamless connection to our testing infrastructure with your existing clinical workflow and the ability to see real-time critical insights on your member population.
• Patient Engagement: A suite of patient engagement options that help close critical care gaps through not only testing, but education, data collection, and targeted communication workflows. 

If you’d like to learn more about Ash and our solutions to some of the most prevalent cancers across the nation, we’d love to talk. Together, we can continue the fight against cancer. 

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