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PURPOSE We aim to shed light on progress in cancer medicine through studying time trends in age-specific rates of cancer incidence and mortality over the last quarter century. METHODS We analyzed age-specific incidence and mortality rates of all cancer sites combined using the high-quality population-based databases of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands for the period 1990-2016. RESULTS Over these 26 years, cancer incidence rates increased in all investigated countries irrespective of age by about 22%. By contrast, cancer mortality rates decreased across all ages, also by about 22%, except ages 80+ years in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, where they remained unchanged. This pattern is consistent with earlier diagnoses and more effective treatments of cancer. CONCLUSIONS This bird's-eye view on cancer reveals substantive progress in cancer medicine.