It has been 40 years since the National Cancer Act of 1971 launched the “war on cancer,’’ with a goal of finding a cure.
It hasn’t happened yet. This year, more than 1.5 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer and nearly 572,000 will die of it, according to the American Cancer Society’s latest estimates (www.cancer.org).
As the “Silver Tsunami’’ of Baby Boomers enter its golden years in droves, the incidence of cancer in older people could change the landscape, posing opportunities for companies that offer services, diagnostic tests and therapies, and challenges for healthcare cost containment, physicians and other health care providers and for families. People 65 and older have a tenfold greater risk of cancer than the general population. Nearly half of new cancers are found in older people and some experts predict that will increase to 75% of new cancers as the population of older people grows. (more…)