Understanding cancer care
Oncology in America faces a complex landscape. While significant progress has been made in cancer detection and treatment, several ongoing challenges persist.
This information hub shows how we help health plans and employers improve cancer outcomes for members and lower avoidable oncology spend.
Addressing the challenges patients face during cancer treatment
For millions of Americans, a cancer diagnosis marks the beginning of a long, complex, and uncertain journey. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, or a loved one, navigating today’s fragmented oncology landscape can be frustrating and bring a mix of overwhelming emotions on top of the physical burden of treatment.
When facing this difficult cancer journey, patients often receive very little guidance, support, or resources. The role of providers, payers, and benefits managers is to help relieve this burden and make the oncology journey easier to bear.
Cancer statistics at a glance
5,800
New cancer diagnoses each day. That means the US could see 2,114,850 new cancer cases in 2026, with more than 626,000 deaths.1
88%
Percentage of employers who say cancer is among their top three drivers of health care costs, making it a top cost-driving condition for the fourth consecutive year.2
#1
Cause of cancer death in adults under 50 is colorectal cancer. It’s the only major cancer with a death rate that’s rising in that age group.3
What are the most common cancers in the US?
Cancer survival rates have increased the last 30 years, but incidence rates are also higher—particularly for people under the age of 50.4
333,830
Prostate cancer cases5
321,910
Breast cancer cases6
229,410
Lung and bronchus cancer cases7
What screenings help detect cancer early?
Early detection through screening is one of the most effective ways to improve cancer outcomes and reduce costs. The table below summarizes current screening recommendations.8
CANCER TYPE | RECOMMENDED POPULATION | SCREENING FREQUENCY | WHY IT MATTERS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast | Women ages 40–74 | Every 2 years (biennial mammography) | Earlier detection reduces mortality; lowering the start age from 50 to 40 addresses rising incidence in younger women. |
| Colorectal | Adults ages 45–75 | Stool-based test annually or colonoscopy every 10 years (multiple modalities accepted) | Colorectal cancer is now the #1 cause of cancer death in men under 50; starting at 45 reflects rising early-onset incidence. |
| Cervical | Women ages 21–65 | Ages 21–29: Pap test every 3 years. Ages 30–65: HPV test every 5 years now includes self-collected HPV testing), or Pap alone every 3 years, or Pap+HPV co-testing every 5 years | Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable with timely screening; new self-collected HPV testing expands access for underscreened groups in high-social-need areas. |
| Lung (High Risk) | Adults ages 50–80 with a 20+ pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years | Annual low-dose CT (LDCT) | Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death; LDCT screening in high-risk adults reduces lung cancer mortality. |
Why are cancer treatment costs rising?
Cancer isn’t just complex; it’s also expensive. The financial cost of care can be a significant burden on patients and their families, causing additional distress as they navigate the path to better health. By 2030, the cost of cancer-related medical services and prescription drugs in the US is expected to reach $246B—a 30% increase since 2015—and it shows no signs of slowing down.9
64%
of cancer patients report feeling unprepared for the cost of their care.10
45%
of people with medical debt would delay or avoid care for serious medical issues because of cost.10
Innovation in therapy and diagnosis in the last decade is one of the top drivers of rising cancer spend.
While new breakthrough therapies—such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)—show great promise in improving patient outcomes, they have also increased spend by billions of dollars since their launch. To help manage these costs, Evernorth® Health Services is committed to helping plans optimize utilization of these expensive therapies and ensuring patients get the right level of care for their needs.
Read our recent report, Real-World Data in Cancer Care, to learn more.
How does behavioral health impact cancer care?
When patients and caregivers struggle with unmet behavioral health needs, it can lead to higher costs and poor outcomes overall. Behavioral health plays a meaningful role in cancer care, experience, and cost, which is why it’s a growing priority for health plans. And it’s not just patients: if caregivers neglect their own needs, their behavioral health can suffer as well.
Learn more how the right support can make a difference.
Importance of treatment from the right doctors
Many patients’ outcomes could be greatly improved by ensuring they receive the right tests and evidence-based care that meets the latest cancer guidelines.
For example, our data shows that up to one in three non-small cell lung cancer patients do not receive recommended testing after diagnosis to determine the most appropriate treatment.12 If more patients receive the recommended testing, it can lead to dramatically improved survival rates.
In addition, we know that cervical cancers are almost entirely preventable with timely screenings, and yet women in areas of high social need are consistently screened at lower rates than those in areas of low social need.13 As a result, these women are more likely to die from cervical cancer. With more proactive interventions and case review from oncology experts, these trends can be reversed.
How disparities in cancer care affect outcomes
At Evernorth, we recognize that health disparities create fundamental barriers to equitable cancer care, leading to significantly worse outcomes for underserved populations. Social determinants of health prevent many patients from accessing timely screening, diagnosis, and treatment, resulting in later-stage diagnoses and lower survival rates. Addressing these systemic inequities requires comprehensive solutions that improve access to quality cancer care for all populations.
- 2X higher death rate for African Americans with prostate, stomach, and uterine cancers, compared to white Americans15
- 35% higher cervical cancer rates in Hispanic women vs. non-Hispanic white women16
- 45% of patients living in areas of high social need, as determined by the Evernorth Social Determinants Index (ESDI), do not receive care at a National Cancer Institute-affiliated center
What is cancer?
“Cancer” refers to the growth of abnormal cells that are determined as malignant—or harmful, impeding the normal function of the area of the body it grows in. Malignancy can be identified via biopsy, imaging, or other testing, and the sooner it is detected, the better. Detecting, accurately diagnosing, and effectively treating cancer is incredibly complex because it is more than just one disease—it’s thousands of increasingly individualized diseases, each with different causes, symptoms, and guidelines for care.
Frequently asked questions about oncology
Navigating cancer care can raise a lot of questions. Evernorth is here with answers to help you understand the ins and outs of a changing oncology landscape.
Sources
- American Cancer Society. "ACS Annual Statistics Report: Milestone 70 Percent 5-Year Survival Rate for all Cancers Combined; Largest Gains for Advanced and Fatal Cancers" [Press Release]. January 13, 2026.
- Golden R. "'Daunting’ healthcare costs exceed employer projections and could hit employees, analysts say." HRDive. Last updated April 16, 2026. https://www.hrdive.com/news/daunting-healthcare-costs-exceed-employer-projections/758302/
- Siegel RL, Wagle NS, Jemal A. "Leading Cancer Deaths in People Younger Than 50 Years." JAMA. 2026;335(7):632–634. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.25467
- McDowell S. "Cancer Incidence Rate for Women Under 50 Rises Above Men's." American Cancer Society. January 16, 2025. https://www.cancer.org/research/acs-research-news/cancer-incidence-rate-for-women-under-50-rises-above-mens.html
- American Cancer Society. "Key Statistics for Prostate Cancer." Page last revised October 13, 2026. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/key-statistics.html
- American Cancer Society. "Key Statistics for Breast Cancer." Page last revised June 24, 2026. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/key-statistics.html
- American Cancer Society. "Key Statistics for Lung Cancer." Page last revised January 13, 2026. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
- American Cancer Society. "Cancer screening saves lives: Screening Recommendations." 2023. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/online-documents/en/pdf/flyers/cancer-screenings-save-lives.pdf
- American Association for Cancer Research. "Cancer Care Costs in the United States Are Projected to Exceed $245 Billion by 2030" [Press Release]. June 10, 2020. https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/newsroom/news-releases/cancer-care-costs-in-the-united-states-are-projected-to-exceed-245-billion-by-2030/
- American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. "Survivor Views: Cancer & Medical Debt." March 17, 2022. https://www.fightcancer.org/policy-resources/survivor-views-cancer-medical-debt
- Fereidouni Z, Dehghan Abnavi S, et al. "The Impact of Cancer on Mental Health and the Importance of Supportive Services." Galen Med J. 2024 Feb 26;13:e3327. doi: 10.31661/gmj.v13i.3327.
- Evernorth Research Institute. Real-World Data in Cancer Care, Improving Care Series, 2023.
- Charania R. "More cervical cancer screenings. More lives saved." Evernorth Health Services. January 14, 2026. https://www.evernorth.com/articles/more-cervical-cancer-screenings-more-lives-saved
- Evernorth Research Institute, Health Care in Focus, 2024.
- American Cancer Society. "New ACS Study Shows Cancer Mortality Rates Among Black People Declining, but Remain Higher Than Other Racial and Ethnic Groups" [Press Release]. February 20, 2025. https://pressroom.cancer.org/CancerStatisticsforAfricanAmericanandBlackPeople
- Saka AH, Kratzer TB, Giaquinto AN, et al. "Cancer statistics for Hispanic/Latino people, 2026." CA Cancer J Clin. 2026;e70107. doi:10.3322/caac.70107