The UK has 170,000 people who are alive in spite of being diagnosed with cancer more than a quarter of a century ago, according to an analysis published today.
About 25% of these continue to live with long-term side-effects of treatment, according to the charity Macmillan Cancer Research.
The figures have been estimated using regression techniques as many of the patients were not recorded in cancer registries.
The researchers sought to quantify the total number of people alive diagnosed with cancer before 1991 in a joint project between Macmillan and Public Health England.
Macmillan chief medical officer Jane Maher said: “With so many people alive today who were diagnosed with cancer in the 1970s and 1980s, it’s clear that having cancer is no longer necessarily the death sentence it once was; that is a cause for celebration.
"But while it is not always life-ending, it is life-changing and we need to ensure that people who have had the disease or who are living with it have a good quality of life and tailored, appropriate support.
“We know that thousands of people are living with the consequences of yesterday’s treatments, illnesses such as heart disease or osteoporosis. They may also be dealing with other issues that are a result of their cancer such as money worries if they are too ill to work."
She added: "In the future we will have even more people living with cancer in the long-term. Our health service needs to be equipped to meet the increasing demand over the coming years."
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