One of the first things a cancer diagnosis threatens is your overall enjoyment of life. Yet for many years, as doctors concentrated on treating the cancer as effectively as possible, a patient's quality of life often was the last thing considered. That is changing. With more than 10 million cancer survivors in the United States today, many researchers are grappling with the challenge of helping patients and survivors maintain or regain a sense of well-being.
Recent statistics show that one out of every six people over 65 is a cancer survivor and that 1.4 million of these cancer survivors were diagnosed more than 20 years ago. In 2001, there were 2.2 million breast cancer survivors, 1.6 million prostate cancer survivors, and 1 million colorectal cancer survivors. And the number of cancer survivors continues to increase, thanks in large part to earlier detection, improved treatments, the supportive care of family and friends, and the huge cohort of baby boomers now entering the cancer-prone years.
A large part of this group may live with cancer as a chronic disease, rather than an eventually fatal one. Many will move on to lead normal lives, reporting few if any side effects. Indeed, one important finding among researchers is that two thirds of cancer survivors report that cancer has not had a significant long-term impact on their lives.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute, 64 percent of adults whose cancer is diagnosed today can expect to be alive in five years. This figure is even more promising for children for whom the five-year survival rates-depending on the type of cancer-now range between 70 percent and 92 percent, with the 10-year survival rate at 75 percent.
Five-year survival rates vary according to the type of cancer and how early it is diagnosed. From 1992 to 1999, the following five-year survival rates held true:
- Female breast: 87 percent
- Colorectal: 62 percent
- Lung and bronchus: 15 percent
- Prostate: 98 percent
- Pancreas: 4 percent.
Bear in mind as you read through this guide that five years is the benchmark figure for studies of survivorship of adult cancer patients. As those who have been treated for cancer live longer, information about longer-term survival will become more available.
Surviving cancer differs from dealing with many other health issues, in that recovery may not be the end of the cancer experience. For some, cancer becomes a chronic condition, requiring periodic treatments. Others may go into long-term remission. But even if it has been years since you were successfully treated, no one, not even your cancer doctor, can tell you for sure that your cancer will not recur. At some point, all cancer patients have to find a way to live with this frightening truth. Cancer treatments also can be very toxic, leaving you with unique health needs that require lifelong surveillance and evaluation. Finally, many cancer patients report that recovering from the social and emotional trauma of the disease can take longer than recuperating from some of the treatments.
This guide explores many of the challenges of surviving cancer and some of the questions you might be asking:
