New report estimates nearly 18 million cancer survivors in U.S. by 2022
Growing, aging population & increased survival driving trend
The number of Americans with a history of cancer, currently estimated to be 13.7 million, will grow to almost 18 million by 2022, according to a first-ever report by the American Cancer Society (ACS) in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The report, Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures, 2012-2013 and accompanying journal article published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, used data from the NCI-funded Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program to generate brand new estimates of cancer survivor prevalence in the U.S. The reports find that even though cancer incidence rates are decreasing, the number of cancer survivors is growing due to the aging and growth of the population, as well as improving cancer survival rates.
The reports were released to coincide with the Survivorship Conference, 2012, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer Survivorship, the American Cancer Society, LIVESTRONG, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.