Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2022

Abstract

The number of cancer survivors continues to increase in the United States due to the growth and aging of the population as well as advances in early detection and treatment. To assist the public health community in better serving these individuals, the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute collaborate triennially to estimate cancer prevalence in the United States using incidence and survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registries, vital statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, and population projections from the US Census Bureau. Current treatment patterns based on information in the National Cancer Database are presented for the most prevalent cancer types by race, and cancer-related and treatment-related side-effects are also briefly described. More than 18 million Americans (8.3 million males and 9.7 million females) with a history of cancer were alive on January 1, 2022. The 3 most prevalent cancers are prostate (3,523,230), melanoma of the skin (760,640), and colon and rectum (726,450) among males and breast (4,055,770), uterine corpus (891,560), and thyroid (823,800) among females. More than one-half (53%) of survivors were diagnosed within the past 10 years, and two-thirds (67%) were aged 65 years or older. One of the largest racial disparities in treatment is for rectal cancer, for which 41% of Black patients with stage I disease receive proctectomy or proctocolectomy compared to 66% of White patients. Surgical receipt is also substantially lower among Black patients with non-small cell lung cancer, 49% for stages I-II and 16% for stage III versus 55% and 22% for White patients, respectively. These treatment disparities are exacerbated by the fact that Black patients continue to be less likely to be diagnosed with stage I disease than White patients for most cancers, with some of the largest disparities for female breast (53% vs 68%) and endometrial (59% vs 73%). Although there are a growing number of tools that can assist patients, caregivers, and clinicians in navigating the various phases of cancer survivorship, further evidence-based strategies and equitable access to available resources are needed to mitigate disparities for communities of color and optimize care for people with a history of cancer.

Identifying Strategies for Robust Survivorship Program Implementation: A Qualitative Analysis of Cancer Programs

“…1 Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 2 Health Policy and Management/Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 3 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 4 School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 5 Breast Center/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 6 University of North Carolina, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC 7 Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA…”

“…6 To optimize cancer survivors' outcomes, scholars and practitioners have sharpened their focus on improving survivorship care coordination. 7 In 2006, the Institute of Medicine (currently the National Academy of Medicine) issued a seminal report From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition, outlining recommendations to provide coordinated, comprehensive follow-up care to patients upon completion of cancer treatment. In response to this recommendation, several guidelines have emerged.…”

Accurate measurement of coronary artery calcium in cancer patients using the CT component of PET/CT scans

“…With improvement in cancer diagnosis and treatment, the number of cancer survivors continues to grow. More than 16.9 million Americans with a history of cancer were alive in 2019 with this number projected to reach more than 22.1 million by 2030 [5]. These cancer survivors are increasingly at risk for developing coronary artery disease [6] and may be at higher risk than usual due to the cancer therapy that they have undergone [7].…”

Integrating Oncology Education Into an Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Using a Systematic and Comprehensive Approach

“…Based on these statistics, it appears the survival rate will continue to climb. 2 Patients in active treatment of their cancer are expected to have secondary medical complications, regardless of treatment approach. 3 In many cases, patients with cancer (PC) are now given life-prolonging treatments and then left to struggle with how to recover from the toxic and adverse effects.…”