Although the battle against cancer is a prolonged one, medical advancements and the rise of alternative treatments may have contributed to the positive numbers regarding cancer survivability.
According to a report by the American Cancer Society, the number of survivors grows exponentially during the recent years as opposed to decades ago, and the survival rate is still expected to balloon well into the future. In collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, the report tagged as “Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures 2016-2017” cited that from more than 15.5 million cancer survivors living in the United States today, the number is expected to continue to rise, with projected survival rates of up to 20 million by 2026.
The report also cited statistics on cancer treatment and management. The white paper highlights that recent trends show that of all the cancer survivors currently tallied, almost half of them – around 47 percent – are in advanced ages, at least 70 years old and older. On the other hand, it cites that onset of cancer may be risky for millennials since only 5% of the total number of current survivors are aged 40 and below.
The paper also revealed that among the different cancer types, the top three common cancers among male survivors are prostate cancer, colon and rectal cancer, and melanoma or skin cancer. Among the female survivors, the most common type of cancers include breast cancer, uterine cancer (including endometrial cancer and uterine sarcoma), and colon and rectal cancer.
The report is good news for cancer patients since it reflects the positive trend of cancer survival rates in relation to medical interventions and treatments. Meanwhile, it also reveals that while cancer is one of the riskiest diseases, there is still hope for cancer patients.
The battle against the big C is such that mortality rates among patients are also high. In a separate post by National Cancer Institute, data shows that on a global scale, cancer is one of the leading causes of death. In 2012, there were 14 million new cancer patients, and 8.2 million of the cases lead to cancer-related deaths. Of these cases, cancer mortality is higher among men than women. Meanwhile, it is also expected that the number of new cases will continue to rise to at least 22 million within the next 20 years.
This year, it is expected that at least 1,685,210 new cases of cancer will be reported in the United States alone, and out of this number, at least 595,690 people will die from the disease.
Area-related information is also broken down in the post. Reportedly, out of all the current and new cancer cases, at least 60 percent of worldwide patients come from Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Out of these cases, almost 70 percent of cancer patients also lead to terminal diseases in these regions. On the other hand, as part of new cases, at least 39.6 percent of all men and women at this point are likely to be diagnosed with cancer some time in the future.
