More and more people are surviving the disease

Cancer should not be a death sentence today.

Cancer deaths have been falling in Germany and around the world for years. “Cancer should not be a death sentence today,” says Volker Arndt of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg. After the disease is overcome, the patient does not automatically become healthy, but: “Surviving 20 years and more is a realistic option for many tumor entities today,” says Arendt. However, there is an important prerequisite: the lump must be detected early. The German Cancer Society is using World Cancer Day on February 4th as an opportunity to raise public awareness on the topic of prevention.

Important questions and answers about cancer control

How many cancer survivors are in Germany now – and how is the number developing?
There are currently about 3.5 to 4 million people living in Germany With cancer Or with surviving cancer. According to projections, that number in Germany will rise to five to six million in the next 20 years, says Volker Arendt of DKFZ. The main reason is the aging of the alleged generation Baby Boomer This is how statisticians in Germany refer to the baby boomers generation between 1955 and 1969. In Germany, about 500,000 people are newly diagnosed with cancer each year. More and more survive the disease.

What are the consequences of cancer for a career?
According to the DKFZ, about 35 percent of all cancer patients in Germany are of working age – that is, between 15 and 65 years old. “On average, 62 percent of patients return to work after completing treatment,” Arendt says. The likelihood depends on your educational status and the type of profession. Cured cancer patients should be treated by clinicians with sensitivity, but not excessive hesitation. Not all of these people experience severe trauma.

“The number of cancer cases can be reduced by about 40 percent” – with complete prevention

Do cancer survivors have a dramatically reduced life expectancy?
The statistics clearly indicate that the survival chances for many oncology patients have improved significantly over the past 30 years. Prevention is an essential ingredient in fighting cancer. “If all the prevention options known today were consistently implemented, the number of cancer cases could be reduced Reducing by about 40 percentThe preventive measures are well known, says Michael Bowman, CEO of DKFZ Mannheimer Morgen. A miracle drug with which all types of cancer can be cured, but unfortunately there will not be any of them in the near future.