The cancer survival rate in Malaga reaches 60%, double what it was 30 years ago.
Six out of every ten people with cancer in Malaga survive for more than five years, a rate that is not only one of the best since records began, but also slightly above the European average. Despite the fact that the number of cases in the province has exceeded 10,000 per year for the first time in its history – according to the annual report prepared by the Spanish Association Against Cancer – medical advances (in which Andalusia and Malaga are mentioned) allow each year that passes by a recovery rate higher.
Another important point in this high survival rate is early detection. Cancer continues to be the leading cause of death among men and the second among women in Malaga, and the first among both sexes under the age of 65, but over the past year and a half the situation that caused the pandemic has been corrected. ..and now diagnosed without delays caused by the Covid crisis.
It must be remembered that the consequences of the pandemic affected almost all levels of medicine, but the late detection of at least 20 percent of cases was especially harmful, as can be seen from the 2021 balance sheet, in which almost two out of every ten cases of patients were not detected. In a report released at the time, the Ministry of Health acknowledged a “decline in diagnoses”, which it attributed to several reasons caused by the pandemic: the suspension of screening programmes, difficulties in accessing primary and hospital care, delays in booking medical tests and fear of infection.
Although each new case is regrettable, oncologist Emilio Alba recalls that the survival rate for this disease has doubled in just 30 years. The reasons for these good rates depend on the type of tumor, but Alba emphasizes the urgency of improving early detection methods, which are becoming increasingly sensitive. “But the most important thing is that treatments have improved significantly,” he says, also recalling that tumors that are the most curable, such as breast, prostate or childhood tumors, have a survival rate above 85 percent. The most negative point is the slight increase in mortality for some tumors, as the incidence has increased and the treatment is “not very good.” “But these are very exceptional cases,” he explains.
As for the number of new cases, the oncologist admits that it is increasing “quite a bit”; In fact, in the case of Malaga, for the first time in history, the number of diagnoses in twelve months exceeded 10,000. “The main reason is that we are aging. In an aging society, cancer is increasing,” he explains. Another reason is the increasing incidence of cancer among people under 50 years of age. “It is not known exactly what the causes are, it occurs particularly in colorectal cancer and appears to be related to diet. We are eating worse and worse, cooking less, consuming more ultra-processed foods with less fiber…” he lists; This is why he assures that much attention is already being paid to this type of diagnosis, the so-called early-onset cancer.
Figures for 2023
A few days ago, the Spanish Association Against Cancer published data relating to 2023, including for Malaga. Over the past year, the province added 9,842 new cases (about 250 more than in 2022), continuing a more or less stable trend in recent years.
Colorectal cancer continues to be the most diagnosed cancer with 1,433 cases, followed by prostate (1,279), breast (1,244), lung (1,071) and skin cancers, with 711 diagnoses recorded in the last twelve months. The average survival rate is 60 percent, although it is slightly higher for women than for men.
The AECC report also goes into detail about the age range, which makes it abundantly clear that height is associated with aging. Of the more than 10,000 cases diagnosed in 2023, 3,254 involved people over 75; 1414 people aged 70 to 74 years; and 1,361 people aged 65 to 69 years.
Cancer in 2050
The future forecast appears to follow a similar trend to the current one; This means a scenario with more cases, but at the same time with higher survival rates. The International Research Center for Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), projects more than 35 million new cases in 2050, representing a 77 percent increase from the 20 million estimated cases in 2022.
The rapid increase in the global cancer burden reflects both population aging and growth and changes in people’s exposure to risk factors. “Tobacco, alcohol and obesity are key drivers of rising cancer rates, while air pollution continues to be a major environmental risk,” they note in the report released today.
In terms of absolute burden, countries with a high human development index (HDI) are expected to experience the largest absolute increase in incidence, with an additional 4.8 million new cases projected in 2050 compared to estimates for 2022.
However, the proportional increase in incidence is more noticeable in countries with a low human development index (HDI) (142% increase) and in countries with a medium HDI (99%). Likewise, cancer deaths in these countries are expected to nearly double in 2050, although survival rates will be higher. “Countries with the fewest resources to combat the burden of cancer will be hit hardest,” said Dr. Freddie Bray, head of cancer surveillance at IARC.
Labor consequences
Beyond the purely medical issues, the consequences of cancer are numerous, as it is the disease that has the highest prevalence of job loss, with the risk of being unemployed among cancer survivors increasing by 34% compared to the general population.
This is evidenced by a study prepared by the Spanish Association Against Cancer, which this year wanted to focus on the celebration of World Cancer Day. As explained, according to the Cancer Observatory, in Spain 38% of people diagnosed with cancer in 2023 are of working age, corresponding to 110,000 patients. In fact, 28.4% of people with cancer say they have lost or left a job after getting sick.
In addition, a 25% reduction in the wage fund for temporary disability, combined with a long period of sickness due to illness, means that many patients may find themselves in an “economically vulnerable” position, they remind. Cancer causes an economic loss of more than €10,000 to 41% of families during the course of the illness. “This could leave many families at risk of social isolation,” the AECC emphasizes.
Faced with this reality, the Association called on all social actors to come together to “ease or reduce” the impact of work on people and cancer survivors. In Europe, it is estimated that more than 12 million people are cancer survivors, and in Spain there are more than 2.2 million people who have been diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
Factors that prevent immediate return to work and normal functions are usually pain, difficulty concentrating or moving, and fatigue, aspects that make it difficult to complete the workday. Long periods of inactivity make it difficult to resume work. “In the case of permanent disability, patients face various situations, such as being unable to return to their regular job or being unable to work at any job due to serious consequences or chronic illness caused by cancer,” they list.
There is also a need to find another profession due to persistent disability. People living in this reality face “long processes” for disability resolution, which they say results in constant conflict over the ability to return to professional life.
In response to these needs, the Spanish Cancer Association has been providing a free service since 2019 aimed at meeting the need for advice on labor law. The purpose of this service is to provide advice on social security and employment law issues to patients and their families.