Cancer numbers to double

By 2030, there will be twice the number of elderly cancer patients (65 and older) worldwide than there were in 2000, an increase that will pose "huge challenges" to health-care systems, cancer experts warned Monday at a European Cancer Conference meeting.

The global increase in elderly cancer patients will be the result of ageing societies, especially in developed nations, and improved diagnosis and treatment, Agence France-Presse reported.

"There are not enough health-care professionals who have skills and knowledge in both cancer and the best care and treatment for the elderly," Kathy Redmond, editor of Cancer World, said at the meeting.

She described the impending upsurge in elderly cancer patient numbers as a "time bomb," and said that not enough is being done to prepare to deal with the increase, AFP reported. – (HealthDayNews)

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Cancer Centre

September 2007