Cancer patients' chances for survival rising; 71% still alive after three years

The chances of surviving cancer for longer have increased “encouragingly” over the past 20 years, reports the Integrated Cancer Center of the Netherlands (IKNL) based on new figures from the Dutch Cancer Registry (NKR). Between 2000 and 2004, 60 percent of patients were still alive three years after a cancer diagnosis. That increased to 71 percent in the period 2020 to 2022.

Major improvements in survival chances are visible, in particular, in lung cancer, kidney cancer, sarcomas (soft tissue tumors), esophageal cancer, and pharyngeal cancer, the organization said. Many new medicines have become available in recent decades. “A positive effect was already visible in some cancer types. In others, such as lung cancer, the effect is mainly visible in the most recent period (2020-2022).”

Unfortunately, not every patient really benefits from the new medicines. “Sometimes substances have a limited life-prolonging effect, or they only work for some patients.”

Early detection of cancer, for example, through population screening (such as for colon cancer) and improved diagnostics, also increase the chances of surviving the dreaded disease. Improved techniques also contribute. For example, the chances of surviving liver cancer increased by 13 percent, mainly due to newer surgical procedures.

Progress is also being made in the fight against hematological cancers through better medicines, better diagnostics, and stem cell transplants, among other things.

“The continued commitment to research and development of new treatments remains crucial to further improve the survival chances of cancer patients. At the same time, it is important to look critically at the effects of new treatment methods and medicines so that a balanced choice is made between effectiveness, side effects, and costs. After all, the new, often expensive medicines do not work well for everyone. Sometimes, the side effects are so severe that the quality of life becomes very poor in the final phase,” IKNL warned.