Is the persistence of the SV40 virus and its spread among humanity the cause of a large acceleration of cancers that continues to this day?

This is absolutely correct. It has taken a large toll with tens of thousands of deaths over the intervening years, people who otherwise would still be among the living and their descendants, benefitting accordingly. It is a very sad chapter, indeed, and has contributed greatly to widespread human misery, not to mention the economic costs and loss of quality of life by all who are touched by this menace.