18 Million Cancer Survivors Expected by 2022

By Alexandra SifferlinMarch 27, 20133 Comments

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An aging population coupled with improved treatment methods mean more people will survive cancer. But at what cost?

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) released its second Annual Report on Cancer Survivorship, which shows that the current 13.7 million cancer survivors in the U.S. will likely swell by 31% to 18 million by the year 2022.

Some of the rise is due to the aging population; the risk of the most common cancers, including breast, prostate and lung, increases with age, and the researchers estimate that two-thirds of cancer survivors will be over the age of 65 in 2020. But advances in early detection and treatment are also contributing to helping people are live longer after diagnosis.

(MORE: Cancer Dream Teams: Road to a Cure?)

Using two government-funded databases, the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program and the U.S. Census Bureau’s population projections, the scientists estimate that women with breast cancer will make up 22% of cancer survivors in coming decades, while men with prostate cancer will make-up another 20%. Patients with lung cancer, however, may account for only 3% of survivors, reflecting still-nascent efforts to successfully treat the disease.

While the survival trend is encouraging, it may come at a price. Cancer survivors generally have twice the annual medical costs that patients without cancer do, because of they need routine monitoring for recurring tumors, as well as for side effects from their treatment or long term effects of their disease. Cancer drug shortages are also becoming more common, and the high demand for cancer-related care could overwhelm the current supply of oncologists. “The growing number of older survivors also presents a unique challenge to the healthcare system because older cancer survivors are more likely to have multiple chronic diseases and tend to experience poorer physical functioning than younger survivors,” the authors write.

(MORE: A Shot at Cancer)

The cost of cancer care will also continue to rise in tandem with the number of survivors. According to the report, it is estimated that population growth will increase the cost of cancer care by 27% by 2020. The authors write:

Health care costs in the first year after a cancer diagnosis tend to be higher than annual costs thereafter for survivors who are not in their last year of life. Nevertheless, among survivors who are more than 1-year post-diagnosis, annual healthcare expenditures are double that of the general population, suggesting that the economic burden of cancer in terms of medical expenditures is both considerable and persistent.

To address some of the issues the growing population presents, the researchers proposed the following recommendations:

• Improve methods for delivering long-term follow up care: Few studies adequately analzye the best ways to evaluate and monitor side effects and long term effects of cancer treatments, and the researchers say more data is needed to evaulate the most cost effective strategy for keeping cancer survivors healthy.
• Collect long-term clinical, psychosocial, and behavioral data from adult cancer survivors: In order to find the most effective ways to care for patients, more data is needed to identify best practices.
• Exploit electronic health care records and other technologies to coordinate and improve survivors’ care: With the growth in electronic medical records (EMR) and personal health records, researchers can begin to capture important biological and self-reported data in real-time, and determine if acting on patterns and trends in these records can improve care.
• Improve palliative care:  Research has shown that addressing pain, discomfort and other cancer-related symptoms with interventions such as massage, group therapy sessions and meditation, can improve quality of life and lower health care costs of cancer patients.

(MORE: On the Horizon at Last, Cancer Drugs that Harness the Body’s Own Immune System)

“How to ensure that these patients lead not only long lives, but healthy and productive lives, will be a vital challenge to all of us,” said Julia Rowland, the director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute in a statement.

The report is published in the AACR’s journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/03/27/18-million-cancer-survivors-expected-by-2022/#ixzz2Si63NZSo

5 Signs You’ll Get Cancer

Sunday, 05 May 2013 07:43 PM

By S.A. Nickerson

“You have cancer” are three words you never want to hear . . . 

Unfortunately, over 5,000 people in North America do hear those words — every single day. Even worse, cancer has become the second leading cause of death for Americans.

America’s foremost holistic health practitioner, David Brownstein, M.D., has spent much of his medical career studying cancer, and learning the best ways to avoid becoming its victim. 

And Dr. Brownstein does not shy away from the hard truth. Statistics demonstrate we are not winning the war on cancer. Far from it. In fact, cancer death rates have remained nearly unchanged over the last 80 years. Plus, traditional cancer treatments have been a dismal failure, particularly when the initial cancer returns — often with a vengeance.

Because the only big winner in the cancer treatment story to date has been the cancer industry’s multibillion-dollar profits, Dr. Brownstein has just released a complimentary video documentary revealing some of his startling findings.

In this video, you’ll discover five specific signs that you will be diagnosed with cancer during your lifetime. 

More important, you’ll see:

• Seven simple but smart steps to prevent cancer from taking over your body . . .

• How to help your body naturally kill cancer cells . . .

• Easiest ways to avoid known cancer-causing factors . . .

• The little-known relationship between iodine and cancer . . .

• And much, much more . . .

According to Dr. Brownstein, nearly all of us have cancer cells in our bodies at various times during our lives. The trick is to avoid letting those cells multiply and overwhelm the body’s natural defenses.

The good news is that you and your loved ones do not need to become cancer victims. With the simple strategies revealed in Dr. Brownstein’s eye-opening video, you can take steps to prevent this deadly disease, or even reverse it.

Editor’s Note: This video is so crucial and groundbreaking, Newsmax Health pulled out all the stops to bring it directly to you at no charge. Click here to start watching this powerful video about preventing cancer immediately. With so many people dying needlessly, there’s no time to waste.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/MKTNews/Brownstein-cancer-video-documentary/2013/02/11/id/489887?promo_code=12729-1&utm_source=taboola#ixzz2SYjRylKQ
Alert: What Is Your Risk for a Heart Attack? Find Out Now

Lets All Start Eating To Fight Cancer

Eating to Fight Cancer

Anticancer Diet

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WebMD Feature Archive

By John Casey
WebMD Feature

You already know that not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking alcohol in moderation are keys to avoiding cancer. But what if you want to take cancer prevention one step further? What else can you do? Simple, say the experts -- eat right.

Though factors outside our control, such as genetics and environment, do play large roles in the development of cancer, a good diet can tip the scales in your favor.

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Research shows that dietary patterns are closely associated with the risk for several types of cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that as many as 35% of cancer deaths may be related to dietary factors.

"Diets low in fat and high in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and grain products are associated with reduced risks for many cancers," says Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, author of Tell Me What to Eat to Help Avoid Breast Cancer andEating Well for a Healthy Menopause, among others. In one recent two-year study, she says, non-melanoma skin cancer patients on a 20%-of-calories-from-fat diet had five times fewer new skin cancers at the end of the study compared with patients in the typical 38%-of-calories-from-fat control group.

In another recent study, says Magee, a lower-fat diet appeared to decrease breast-tissue density in menopausal women, which may decrease breast cancer risk.

Simple Plan

These American Institute for Cancer Research recommendations on diet and lifestyle can provide a starting point for your own cancer-prevention eating plan:

• Don't eat more than 3 ounces of red meat daily -- about the size of a deck of cards.
• Limit fatty foods.
• Avoid salty snacks, and use herbs and spices instead of salt as seasoning.
• Men should limit alcoholic drinks to two per day; women, to one per day.
• Do not eat charred food.
• Avoid being overweight. Limit weight gain during adulthood.
• Take an hour's brisk walk (or get equivalent exercise) daily.

Although Americans are slowly adopting healthier diets, a large gap remains between recommended dietary patterns and what we actually eat. According to the CDC, only about 25% of adults in the U.S. eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

"Eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day will do a lot to decrease cancer risk," says Melanie Polk, RD, director of nutrition for the American Institute of Cancer Research, or AICR.

Getting that many servings doesn't have to be hard, says Polk.

"Make it simple," she says. "Add a handful of blueberries to your cereal in the morning. If you're having a sandwich at lunch, throw in lots of tomato slices as well as lettuce. Broccoli can be added to soups or sprinkled over pizza with olives, onions, and mushrooms. Instead of having a packaged snack in the afternoon, have an apple or banana. It all helps."

Plant foods appear to be most protective against cancer. They are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and helpful phytochemicals.

"Preliminary evidence supports the speculation that substances in flaxseed may help block substances that promote cancer," says Magee. "Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish and certain plant foods, including flaxseed, have been shown in animal studies to slow or prevent the growth of certain cancers."

A good diet can even help those with a family history of certain cancers beat the odds.

"A history of cancer in the family doesn't mean that every person in the family will get it," says Polk. "For someone at high risk, diet should be included as part of an early-detection screening plan set up by their doctor."

For the person already diagnosed with cancer, the nutrition picture is a little murkier. No single answer serves everyone.

"Body changes may be caused by the patient's response to the tumor, the side effects of treatment, certain medications, or some combination of these," says Magee. "Some dietary practices, like supplementing with flaxseed, might compete with a drug like Tamoxifen. That's why it's important to discuss diet with your oncologist."

Polk recommends that cancer patients work with a dietitian to make dietary decisions.

"When a patient gets involved in decisions like treatment and diet they feel less passive, more like they're part of their own healthcare team," she says.

Originally published Sept. 30, 2002.