The chances of being cured of cancer have improved enormously in 15 years, according to figures from the Cancer Registry Foundation. Patients have a 68% chance of surviving compared to 63% 15 years ago. This remains an average: cure rates depend on the type of cancer. For example, almost 100% cure for prostate cancer. But how can this positive development be explained?
The increase in survival following a diagnosis of cancer is due to several factors: advances in research and early detection. Some treatments have evolved considerably, such as that for breast cancer.
“There has been tremendous progress for breast cancer. A few years ago, we had fairly low survival rates, now we are at 90% for almost all breast cancers; we have better understood the cellular mechanisms that lead to anarchic multiplication of the cell, which means cancer, and therefore we have been able to target elements to inhibit this cell proliferation“, explains Véronique Le Ray, medical director and spokesperson for the Foundation once morest cancer.
Better targeting, also carried out during radiotherapy treatments: “Before, we irradiated a much larger area than the tumor to kill cancer cells, now more and more, we have much more targeted types of radiotherapy such as “proton” or “photon” therapies. These treatments are currently evolving.“.
Immunotherapy, the treatment of tomorrow
68% survival rate currently following a diagnosis of cancer: this percentage can still progress thanks to research on immunotherapy in particular.
“Immunotherapy is a treatment that awakens immunity and will be directed once morest cancer cells. We hope, in the future, to discover even more types of immunotherapy which will make it possible to cure, or in any case to make it possible to survive longer, more cancer.“.
The cancer foundation calls for donations and investments in research. In Belgium, cancer risks affecting one in three men before their 75th birthday and one in four women.
