Study finds 70% more people are living five or more years following cancer diagnosis
The study highlights especially striking progress for lung cancer patients. In the mid-1990s, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer was just 15%. Today, that number has nearly doubled to 28%.
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A new study from the American Cancer Society is bringing renewed hope to millions of families affected by cancer. Researchers report that 70% of people diagnosed with cancer are now surviving five years or longer after their diagnosis.
Jane Schlossman was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer last March. At the time, the diagnosis felt overwhelming. Today, her treatment consists of just one pill a day, and her outlook has shifted dramatically.
“I said to my friend, I am so thrilled to be out today and to be out with my friends and having a good time,” Schlossman said. “It meant so much more to me than last year.”
Instead of measuring time in months, Schlossman is now thinking in years. She has her sights set on a specific goal: turning 70 in nine years.
“It makes me feel like I really will be around for the rest of my decade at least,” she said.
The study highlights especially striking progress for lung cancer patients. In the mid-1990s, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer was just 15%. Today, that number has nearly doubled to 28%.
“Nine months later I know I’m going to live longer,” Schlossman said. “And I was like, I don’t have a job and I’m in my 60s.”
While survival rates continue to improve, the study also notes that incidence rates for several common cancers, including breast, endometrial, prostate and pancreatic cancer, are still rising. Experts say this makes early detection and access to modern treatment more important than ever.
Debbie Blick knows firsthand how far cancer care has come. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997, at a time when treatment options and diagnostic tools were far more limited.
“I think people are becoming more aware of what diagnostic tools are available, mammography, CT scans, blood tests, things like that,” Blick said.
Now a survivor, Blick volunteers with Facing Hereditary Cancer Empowered, also known as FORCE,an organization that helps individuals and families navigate life with cancer risk and diagnosis.
She says she regularly sees patients benefiting from advances that simply didn’t exist when she was first diagnosed.
“There’s a lot more today, way more than when I was diagnosed,” Blick said. “I feel really good about that.”
To view the full study, click here.
