Thanks to advances in detection and treatment, cancer survival rates have increased in recent years. According to the latest research, the five-year survival rate for cancers diagnosed between 2003 and 2021 is 69%, compared to 49% for cancers diagnosed in the 1970s. Although there are some unfortunate exceptions, five years without tumor recurrence is considered a 'cure' in most cases. Some cancers now have five-year survival rates approaching 100%. Here are the five types of cancer with the best survival rates:

1. Breast Cancer

Nearly 300,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. But there are reasons for hope. Breast cancer death rates have steadily declined since 1989.

Part of this decrease is due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy during menopause. (After researchers found a positive association between the use of estrogen and progestin supplements and breast cancer, women and doctors backed away from what were once almost commonplace hormone treatments during menopause. ) In addition, mammography can detect - and ultimately - treat breast cancer early-stage, and newer treatments, including hormone blockers and drugs tailored to specific cancers, are increasing survival rates.

As a result, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer that has not spread beyond the breast is 99%. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissues is 84 percent.

2. Prostate Cancer

More than 220,000 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. Most of them will survive. Nearly 3 million American men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive. Researchers and doctors are increasingly realizing that prostate cancer can be slow-growing cancer that is not fatal. In other words, many of the (usually older) men diagnosed with prostate cancer will eventually die of something else; cancer does not progress to a fatal stage. However, some cases of prostate cancer are particularly aggressive.

Almost all prostate cancers (93%) are detected early before cancer spreads to other organs. The 5-year survival rate for these cancers is close to 100%. For years, PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests have been used to detect prostate cancer in its early stages.

3. Skin cancer

More than 3.5 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every year. The vast majority of these are basal cell and squamous cell cancers, which are easily treatable and rarely cause death. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, will affect an estimated 73,000 Americans each year. Early detection of skin cancer is the best way to increase survival, so suspicious areas are checked by a health care practitioner.

4. Thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer rates are on the rise around the world. More than 62,000 Americans, most of them women will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer this year. Experts say the increase in diagnoses is likely, at least in part, due to the increase in detection resulting from improved diagnostic procedures. The good news is that thyroid cancer, when detected early, has a five-year survival rate of nearly 100%. So while the odds of being diagnosed with thyroid cancer have increased, the odds of survival have also increased.

5. Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women; just over 93,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer every year. Yet more Americans are surviving colorectal cancer than ever. Colorectal cancer deaths have steadily declined over the past 20 years as early detection has increased and new treatments have yielded cures.

Experts expect cancer survival rates to continue to rise as they explore cancer screening options and develop new, more effective treatments. If you are concerned about cancer, talk to your doctor to determine which screening tests and preventative strategies are best for you and your loved ones.