# Cancer's biggest wins of the past 50 years, measured by the numbers

Nature has published a data-driven retrospective tallying the most significant advances in cancer research and treatment over the past half-century. The analysis quantifies gains including falling overall death rates, sharp survival improvements in childhood leukemia, and the rise of targeted therapies and immunotherapy. It matters because the figures show where decades of funding and research have paid off, and where progress has lagged.

**Importance:** 2/5

## Sources

### Science
- [Nature](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-03157-1) — 2026-10-05