Research Notebook

Report: Number of Cancer Survivors Increasing

There are 9.8 million cancer survivors in the United States, according to a recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). A cancer survivor is defined as anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, from the time of diagnosis through the balance of his or her life.

The findings in the report are based on incidence and follow-up data from the NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program to estimate annual cancer prevalence--the number of people living following a diagnosis of cancer--and trends in cancer survivorship.

The data show that:

64 percent of adults whose cancer is diagnosed today can expect to be living in five years.
Breast cancer survivors make up the largest group of cancer survivors, 22 percent, followed by prostate cancer survivors, 17 percent, and colorectal cancer survivors, 11 percent.
The majority, 61 percent, of cancer survivors are age 65 and older.
An estimated 1 of every 6 people over 65 is a cancer survivor.
79 percent of childhood cancer survivors will be living five years after diagnosis and nearly 75 percent will be living 10 years following diagnosis.

"The findings in this report have important implications for both the public and health practitioners," says Loria Pollack, M.D., a CDC medical officer. "There is a growing need to promote health and ensure the social, psychological and economic well-being of cancer survivors and their families."

In the past, Pollack says, public health programs concentrated on early detection and prevention of cancer. However, the focus has now expanded to include cancer survivorship, transforming survivorship research into practice, and developing clinical guidelines to provide attentive follow-up and health promotion to survivors.

"Issues faced by cancer survivors include maintaining optimal physical and mental health, preventing disability and late-effects related to cancer and its treatment, and ensuring social and economic well-being for themselves and their family," says Julia Rowland, M.D., director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the NCI. She adds, "NCI takes these factors into consideration when conducting research to identify, examine and prevent or control adverse effects associated with cancer. We are working to enhance survivors' quality of life."

The CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control is supporting states, tribes, and tribal organizations to develop and incorporate survivorship priorities into their comprehensive cancer control plans. The CDC is also working with national organizations to promote education, awareness, and community programs that offer services and support for cancer survivors.

"Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease. The number of cancer survivors in this country has increased steadily over the past 30 years for all cancers combined. We expect the number of survivors to increase as improvements are made in cancer detection, treatment, and care and as the population ages," says Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson.

The report was published in the June 25, 2004, issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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