The number of cancer patients in the Netherlands is expected to rise substantially in the next decade. By 2020, the percentage of new patients each year is likely to be 40 percent higher than in 2007, according to a report by Dutch cancer research and charity organisation KWF.

The report also concludes that the chances of successfully treating the disease will increase, especially among men. This is due to the decrease in the instances of lung and stomach cancer in men. Both forms of this cancer are difficult to detect in the early stages.

The chance of surviving cancer for women will only increase marginally. While ovarian cancer is becoming less prevalent, more women are developing lung cancer.

Skin cancer: 77% increase
In 2007, some 87,000 new patients developed cancer. That figure is set to rise to 123,000 by 2020, the KWF research claims. The number of men who will develop prostate or colon or cancer is expected to rise considerably. Skin cancer is expected to increase by 77 percent among men.

The number of cases of skin cancer among women will also increase alongside breast, lung and oesophageal cancer.

Of the 123,000 expected new cases of cancer each year, some 30,000 will be directly attibuted to tobacco consumption. Smoking is recognised as the single greatest cause of lung cancer – 87% of deaths are attributed to it. In the Netherlands, cigarette smoking is on the increase among women.

Be prepared
The cancer charity also warns public health care authorities about the need to make preparations for the growing number of cancer patients.

KWF argues that psycho-social care should also be improved and more attention should be paid to cancer prevention.

(jn)

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