Older cancer survivor population to increase
substantially
October 6, 2011 — Over the next decade,
the population of cancer survivors over
65 years of age will increase by
approximately 42 percent.
"We can expect a dramatic increase in the
number of older adults who are diagnosed
with or carry a history of cancer," said
Julia Rowland, Ph.D., director of the Office
of Cancer Survivorship in the Division of
Cancer Control and Population Sciences at
the National Cancer Institute (NCI). "Cancer
is largely a disease of aging, so we're
seeing yet another effect of the baby boom
generation and we need to prepare for this
increase."
Rowland's report is part of the special
focus on cancer survivorship, published in
the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology,
Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of
the American Association for Cancer
Research. Rowland and colleagues analyzed
data from the NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology
and End Results Program. This report on
cancer survivorship statistics will be
updated and published on an annual basis.
They found that in 1971, the year the
National Cancer Act was signed, the survivor
population was approximately 3 million,
which increased to nearly 12 million in
2008, the last year data are available.
In 2008, 60 percent of the cancer survivors
were at least 65 years old. The NCI projects
this number will increase to 63 percent by
2020.
The most common diagnosis among cancer
survivors includes female breast cancer (22
percent), prostate cancer (20 percent) and
colorectal cancer (9 percent). Researchers
attribute this high survival to improved
detection and screening. Lung cancer, which
is by far the most diagnosed cancer in men
and women, is much lower in the survivor
population at just 3 percent.
Rowland said the health care community needs
to prepare for the coming wave of cancer
survivors who will present some unique
challenges. As a population, the number of
oncologists and geriatric specialists is
decreasing just as the need for these
specialists is increasing.
"We may be fortunate in that the aging
population is healthier than in previous
generations, and new technologies could
allow for better communication and
follow-up," she said.
