Cancer survival rates improving dramatically

The Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute says the survival rate of cancer are continuing to increase dramatically - 64% of adults and 80% of children should survive more than five years. Furthermore, the quality of life for survivors is also improving. 70% of cancer patients are aged 50 to 85. The five year survival rate for this age group has increased from 43% in 1975 to 64% in 1997. Over 75% of children under 15 can expect to live for more than 10 years after diagnosis. The improvements are due to earlier diagnosis, better and more specific drugs and improved technology. 14% of cancer survivors have remained in remission for more than 20 years. Long term remission is most common in patients with breast cancer (22%), prostate cancer (17%), colon or rectal cancer (11%), and cervical or uterine cancer (10%). The five year survival rate of prostate cancer sufferers has improved from 43% in 1950 to 99% today. The improved survival rate means that greater focus needs to be put on quality of life of survivors and even on health record maintenance and accessibility over lengthy periods of time.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Health Day - Yahoo News

Related Disease Topics:

• Cancer
• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Colon cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Uterine cancer

Article Source Details

About: Cancer survival rates improving dramatically

Date: 2 December 2004

Source: Health Day - Yahoo News

Author: E.J. Mundell

URL: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=97&ncid=751&e=9&u=/hsn/20041202/hl_hsn/cancersurvivorshipinuskeepsrising

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Survival
• Death from cancer
• Death from breast cancer
• Death from prostate cancer
• Death from colon cancer
• Death from rectal cancer
• Death from cervical cancer
• Death from uterine cancer
• Statistics

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