The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute issued a report this week
stating that the number of cancer survivors in the United States in 2022 will be a third higher than it is today, estimating that population to be as high as 18 million.
The report was clear that the medical community is going to need to learn how to respond to an expanding patient group with especially unique healthcare requirements.
A recent study noted that an overwhelming majority of primary care physicians in the US were ignorant of the long-term side effects of the chemotherapeutic drugs used against cancer.
According to report author Elizabeth R. Ward, "Many survivors, even among those who are cancer free, must cope with the long-term effects of treatment, as well as psychological concerns such as fear of recurrence. As more people survive cancer, it is vital that health care providers are aware of the special needs of cancer patients and caregivers."
The report believes that survivor communities for both prostate and breast cancers will be growing, and that there are currently almost 60,000 childhood cancer survivors in the US, and that the long-term medical needs of all these patients will need to become a priority.
Source: ACS
Image by Mike Perez
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