As cancer treatments continue to improve, the number of cancer survivors is expected to increase over the next 10 years. A report, Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures, by the American Cancer Society in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that there will be 18 million cancer survivors living in the United States by 2022. 
The numbers are particularly remarkable because a report published in the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians says the rate of cancers is actually decreasing. The increase in survivors is a testament to both the effectiveness of cancer treatment and the increase in average lifespan. About 45% of cancer survivors are aged 70 or older, and 64% of cancer survivors were diagnosed five or more years ago. The American Cancer Society defines survivors as individuals who have completed the period of active treatment. They may include individuals who are cancer-free and those who have had a reoccurrence. The report coincides with the Survivorship Conference, 2012, sponsored by the NCI’s Office of Cancer Survivorship, the American Cancer Society, LIVESTRONG, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The growing number of cancer survivors means that healthcare providers must be prepared to meet the medical and psychological needs of these patients.
The numbers are particularly remarkable because a report published in the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians says the rate of cancers is actually decreasing. The increase in survivors is a testament to both the effectiveness of cancer treatment and the increase in average lifespan. About 45% of cancer survivors are aged 70 or older, and 64% of cancer survivors were diagnosed five or more years ago. The American Cancer Society defines survivors as individuals who have completed the period of active treatment. They may include individuals who are cancer-free and those who have had a reoccurrence. The report coincides with the Survivorship Conference, 2012, sponsored by the NCI’s Office of Cancer Survivorship, the American Cancer Society, LIVESTRONG, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The growing number of cancer survivors means that healthcare providers must be prepared to meet the medical and psychological needs of these patients.
