Increase in cancer ten years from now

Surgery cancer patientSurgery. Photo: Pixabay.com

The Cancer Registry warns about 23 per cent increase in cancer ten years from now

The number of cancer cases is still increasing, with almost 33,000 diagnoses last year. By 2027, there will probably be 40,000 cancer patients per year.

 

The Cancer Registry presented its latest report on cancer in Norway on Monday. In this regard, the director of the Cancer Registry, Giske Ursin, compares statistics from the Nordic countries and stipulated development.

– We estimate that by 2027 there will be around 40,000 cancer cases every year, which is 23 per cent more than today. The increase will be particularly high among the oldest, with 37 per cent more cancer cases in the population over 70 years than today, Ursin told NTB.

The main reason for that the sharp rise already is under way is that it is especially older people who get cancer. In the coming decade, the predicted elder wave will seriously come into effect.

– There are so many in Norway born in the 1950s, they will now be in their seventies and half of those who are diagnosed with cancer get it after they reach that age. additionally, life expectancy increases, says Ursin.

Preparations

Both the Cancer Registry and the Cancer Society are concerned about how the development is to be dealt with.

– We see that hospital planning today has not entirely thought through the consequences of that so many older people will have to be treated in the future, says Ursin.

She is supported by Assistant Secretary-General in the Cancer Society, Ole Alexander Opdalshei.

“We are concerned that political authorities must raise awareness of this significant challenge. Primarily against what we can do to handle it, but also against the issues surrounding treatments, he says.

Some things can be done to prevent the development, such as helping smokers over 50 years old to quit. Smoking after passing 50 years of age is considered as a significant risk factor for lung cancer.

Status

During the five-year period 2012 to 2016, the number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants has increased by 1.2 percent for men and 4.5 percent for women, compared to the five-year period from 2007 to 2011. Last year, 32,827 cancer cases in Norway were recorded, up from 32,592 by 2015. 54 per cent were among men.

36 per cent of men and 30 per cent of women will have cancer before they reach 75 years old. Earlier diagnosis and improved treatment options have led to a significant reduction in the risk of dying of cancer in recent decades, and today seven out of ten still live five years after being diagnosed.

Some cancers increase significantly. In the last five-year period, 23 per cent more cases of maternal cancer were found than in the preceding five years. This is probably a consequence of the fact that people have been sunburned several years ago and over time have developed cancer. Additionally people are more likely to check their moles; leading to that cancer that previously went undetected is currently being diagnosed.

 

©  NTB Scanpix / Norway Today