Cancer is still the most common cause of death for men in the US ages 60 to 79 and women ages 40 to 79. For all adults combined, cancer is the second most common cause of death (after heart disease).

An annual report from the American Cancer Society shows that, for the first time, over 70% of Americans diagnosed with cancer can expect to live at least five years. The increase from the mid-1970s, when that number was just 49% is huge.

For the first time, the five-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined reached 70%, according to the latest report from the American Cancer Society.

More than 70% of people diagnosed with cancer in the United States now survive for five years or more, a milestone experts said is due to improvements in treatments and screening. In the 1970s, about 50% of people diagnosed with cancer survived five years.