Deaths from less common cancers on the rise

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/08/deaths-less-common-rare-cancers-rise-england

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Deaths from rare and less common cancers are continuing to rise in England, a new report has found.

Published by Cancer52, an alliance of 80 charities working to raise awareness of less common cancers, and Public Health England’s National Cancer Intelligence Network, the report shows that deaths from rarer cancers are on the rise both in terms of number and proportion.

There were 2,700 more deaths from less common cancers in 2013 than in 2010. Overall these cancers accounted for 54% of all cancer deaths despite making up less than half (47%) of all newly diagnosed cancers.

Cancer diagnoses have gone up across the board but survival rates have improved in some of the most common cancers. For example, over 80% of women with breast cancer are still alive five years after diagnosis. Survival rates do vary hugely though; according to Cancer Research UK, testicular cancer has a 98% survival rate while pancreatic cancer has just 1%.

Jonathan Pearce, chair of Cancer52, said: “By definition you are less likely to get one of these forms of cancer but the real issue is that if you do then you are more likely to die from it than one of the other forms.”

The numbers, available for the first time in England, are from 280 cancers which are either rare or less common. Less common cancers are defined as cancers outside the big four, namely lung, bowel, breast and prostate cancers. This includes pancreatic cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, while rare cancers occur in less than six in every 100,000. This category includes cancers such as thyroid and myxosarcoma.

Experts aren’t able to give any one reason as to why these cancers are on the rise. Pearce said: “Some of them have increased in prevalence because of the ageing population, as some categories of cancers like lymphoma are diseases of old age.

“It also could be because rarer cancers don’t get the attention they deserve. They often aren’t diagnosed as early as they might be, it takes longer to get into treatment and there aren’t as many effective treatments available.”

It’s not just mortality rates that are high. Reports of negative patient experiences are also more common among those with rarer cancers.

Responding to the report, Juliet Bouverie, Director of Services and Influencing at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Improving survival rates alone won’t help relieve the full burden that people with rarer cancers face. People with rarer cancers are more likely to say they’ve had a poor experience during a stay in hospital than those with common cancers and are also more likely to feel isolated because they know so little about their disease.”

“It is simply not fair that someone with a rarer cancer should be worse off than those with more common forms of the disease,” she added.