Is it possible that medical advances in the last couple of decades have simply delayed the deaths of many sufferers? Heart disease and cancer survival rates are

Is it possible that medical advances in the last couple of decades have simply delayed the deaths of many sufferers? Heart disease and cancer survival rates are usually qualified with a number of years, given that they are difficult to fully cure. With a larger aging population just barely hanging on, perhaps an upswing is just around the corner but hard to see now. i.e. the rate of death has not actually dropped, the average survival time is longer.