Cancer sufferers are now twice as likely to survive

CANCER victims are now twice as likely to survive as in the 1970s because of swifter diagnoses and better care.

Macmillan Cancer Support said that almost half (49.8 per cent) of all cancer patients were now expected to survive 10 years or more after diagnosis, compared to 24 per cent in 1971.

In a report called “Cancer: Then and Now”, out today, Macmillan also revealed that more than 170,000 people are alive today despite being diagnosed with cancer more than 25 years ago.

Experts said the survival rates had shot up partly due to earlier diagnosis through screening programmes, advances in diagnostic tools and better treatment.

The report compares the diagnosis, treatment and care of cancer victims decades ago to the experiences of cancer patients from 2010 onwards.

But the charity said the report acts as a stark reminder that cancer continues to be a devastating diagnosis and one which affects a person long after treatment has finished.

Macmillan revealed that those who survive many years after diagnosis do not necessarily have a good quality of life. It estimated that there could be 42,500 people living with cancer who were diagnosed in the 1970s and 1980s who may still be dealing with long-term side-effects such as chronic fatigue, incontinence and sexual difficulties.

But Jane Maher, chief medical officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said having the illness is no longer the death sentence it was.

She said: “While it is not always lifeending it is life-changing and we need to ensure that people who have had the disease or who are living with it have a good quality of life and tailored, appropriate support.”

The first Macmillan nurses were introduced in 1975 and speciallytrained benefits advisers started helping patients in 2005.

Health experts predict the number of people living with cancer in Britain is set to increase from 2.5 million to four million by 2035.