The numbers are stark and will touch every single American.

A picture of cancer in the greying American population was drawn in a recent study in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology examining trends in the National Cancer Institute’s population-based SEER data:

The number of “oldest of the old” Americans (age 85 or older) will double between 2000 and 2030; and will have tripled by 2040 (from 4.3 million to 15.4 million).

• Cancer in the oldest old is the 2^nd leading cause of death: More than 1 in 5 over age 85 will develop cancer.
• The total cost of cancer care will rise 39% in just 10 years, between 2010 and 2020—much of that cost in care for elderly.
• Among those age 85 or above, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common cancer.

That’s some of the bad news. But the recent story of colorectal cancer, ironically, also brings a ray of hope. Read the rest of this entry »

Believe it or not, using 5-FU in the fight against colorectal cancer goes back to the 1950s when the chemo drug was first used for advanced disease.

Today 5-FU remains a mainstay against colon and rectal cancer, but it has been joined by new drugs, targeted biological agents like Avastin, radiation, and greatly improved surgery.

Along with improved treatment, routine colorectal cancer screening has reduced death from colorectal cancer by 40% since 1975.

ASCO has a new interactive graphic that shows progress against cancer, including colorectal cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

Changes in CRC Deaths

New diagnoses and death rates continue to decline for colorectal cancer, and the positive trend is expected to continue into the future.  Increasing the numbers of people who are screened could make the rates fall even faster.

Increased screening probably has had the greatest impact on decreasing rates, according to the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, but improved treatments have also contributed. Read the rest of this entry »