Advances in detection and treatment of cancer creates many former cancer survivors

Advances in detection and treatment of cancer creates many former cancer survivors -

Bottom Line: Improved detection and treatment of cancer efforts, combined with demographic changes, create a greater number of older cancer survivors who are likely to have other health conditions that impact health and well-being

Log in which the study was published :. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research

Author: Shirley M. .. Bluethmann, PhD, MPH, a colleague of cancer prevention at the National cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland

. Context: researchers have been anticipating a number of older Americans growing, sometimes called a "silver tsunami" Meanwhile, advances detection and treatment of cancer means that more people survive cancer. "Understanding the impact of a graying nation on the prevalence of cancer is crucial to inform efforts to design and implement the quality of cancer treatment this population, "said lead author of the study," said Bluethmann.

How the study was conducted and results :. Bluethmann and colleagues based their study on incidence and survival data 1975-2012, obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) They expected the prevalence of cancer in the United States in 2016 -2040 using data from the Office of the US census, .. and application of SEER data model approach Prevalence incidence linked to Medicare claims were used to estimate comorbidities commonly found in the elderly including health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease or diabetes the study showed:

• in 2016, there are about 15.5 million cancer survivors United States, and 62 percent of this group is 65. in 2040, the study projects there will be 26.1 million cancer survivors and 73 percent of them will be 65 or more.
• older groups come to represent a larger proportion of the population of cancer survivors. In 2040, 65-74 year survivors represent 24 percent of all survivors, 75-84 represent 31 percent of all survivors and 85 and over will account for 18 percent of all survivors. Compared with the prevalence estimates for 1975, the prevalence estimates projected in 2040 show an increase of 6 times for 65-74 years, an increase of 10 times for 75-84 years, and an increase of 17 times for 85 and over.
• overall prevalence of current cancer is similar among men and women of all ages. However, in the older age groups, the disease is more prevalent in men. In the age group 65-69 years, 14 percent of men and 12 percent of women diagnosed with cancer. The gap is widening as people age, and in the oldest age group, 0 and older, 37 percent of men and 25 percent of women diagnosed with cancer. Bluethmann said this difference is probably related to a greater number of survivors of prostate cancer, which is usually diagnosed in men in later life.
• increasing age increases the chances that cancer survivors suffer from one or more comorbid conditions. Among the cancer survivors aged 65-69, 27 percent had severe comorbidity history. Among the cancer survivors aged 85 and older, 47 percent had severe comorbidity

Author Comment :. Bluethmann said the elderly are little studied, presenting challenges in providing effective care and age-appropriate cancer. For example, she said, of comorbid conditions that many older adults experience may make them ineligible to participate in clinical trials.

"For this reason, we lack key data that informs how geriatric populations react to or for the benefit of specific cancer treatments or interventions," she said. Bluethmann said his study adds to the evidence showing that older people often have complex health needs that must be addressed in efforts to provide high quality health care.

"We have known about the potential impact of baby -boom maturing generation for a while, but this study provides compelling evidence specific to the impact of cancer on older Americans, now and in the future, "said Bluethmann. "The demographics of this country are undeniable, and it is time to rethink our approach to aging and cancer."

Limitations: Bluethmann noted that population projections are estimates, based on the efforts against cancer underway. In addition, the researchers examined the stable rates of incidence and survival to generate prevalence estimates. A change in one of these trends over the long term could mean that these results or underestimate the real impact. However, these projections are believed to be the first to throw the prevalence of cancer in the context of aging 2040.