This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Evan Graboyes about research related to cancer survivorship, particularly for individuals living with cancer as a chronic or recurring disease. Dr. Graboyes is a head and neck surgical oncologist, health services researcher and Director of Survivorship and Cancer Outcomes Research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. There are currently more than 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S., and this number is expected to grow to more than 22 million by 2030, in part due to a growing population of cancer survivors who are living with cancer as a chronic or recurring disease. Doctor Evan Graboyes is here to talk about this important new subpopulation of cancer survivors. Doctor Graboyes is a head and neck surgical oncologist, health services researcher, and Director of Survivorship and Cancer Outcomes Research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. Doctor Graboyes, first what's new in recent years regarding cancer survival rates and cancer survivorship?
Dr. Graboyes: Yes, over the past number of years, and I think projected out into the future, we've really seen tremendous progress in cancer survivability. Over the next decade is expected that the number of people who have lived more than five years after their cancer diagnosis will increase by 33%, and many patients are now living ten, 20 or even 30 years after their cancer diagnosis.
Conner: Tell us about cancer survivors with advanced cancer or metastatic cancer who may cycle on and off treatment. What percentage of cancer survivors might fall in this category?
Dr. Graboyes: So, for this new group of patients who may have cancer, that either comes back again or progresses to metastatic cancer or spreads to faraway parts of the body, they are understudied. So, we don't have really solid estimates. But by some studies it's thought that there's maybe somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million individuals currently living with metastatic breast, prostate, lung or colon cancer in the United States. And, that number is expected to increase significantly over the next 10 to 20 years, thanks to improving technologies and treatments.
Conner: What is unique about these cancer survivors and does this group have special needs?
Dr. Graboyes: Yes, this group really is unique and we think as we learn more about them, they may have needs that are quite different from the types of patients with cancer that we have studied in the past who are treated and potentially cured. I think principle among them relate to psychosocial well-being. Often there's very significant fear of cancer recurrence or the cancer coming back again, as it may have done in the past, challenges with depression, anxiety. And, then because they may be on treatment for years at a time, and potentially really toxic therapies, the accumulating physical burden and side effects of all these treatments can be quite real. So, I think really the host of side effects, from psychosocial to financial to physical, are important and understudied in this patient population.
Conner: Tell us about the push now for research then to better understand the needs of this special population of cancer survivors in the US.
Dr. Graboyes: So, in each of those large buckets, there's a number of researchers across the country who I think are working on trying to understand and address these questions. We're certainly working to contribute here at Hollings and through Score, the Survivorship and Cancer Outcomes Research program here. And one of the studies we currently have underway has two parts. One part is looking at better ways to identify this patient population because they can be challenging to identify using normal tools in the health record. So, I'm working with some artificial intelligence based ways to identify who these patients are, to make data collection about them easier, as one study we have ongoing. And then second is to try and identify new ways to deliver care to patients who may have depression in this patient population in a way that reaches them where they are and addresses their unique needs.
Conner: Doctor Graboyes, thanks for this information about cancer survivorship.
Dr. Graboyes: You're welcome.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
