In this week’s issue of Newsweek, Jonathan Alter writes a chillingly matter-of-fact article about his battle with cancer.
I had the pleasure of having brunch with Alter a year or two ago. He is as intelligent and likable in real life as he is in his writing.
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1/3 of people will have cancer he states this seems high to me ? anyone else …
1/3 of people will have cancer he states this seems high to me ? anyone else …
If you include non-malignant skin cancer the number becomes more palatable, in my opinion.
However, as that is not what first springs to mind when one hears ‘cancer’ the number does sound high at first.
If you include non-malignant skin cancer the number becomes more palatable, in my opinion.
However, as that is not what first springs to mind when one hears ‘cancer’ the number does sound high at first.
Let’s see: Everybody dies, and of those deaths, 23% were from cancer in 2005. (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm)
And approximately 3.5% of the current US population has survived cancer (10.5 million survivors/300 million total population). We’re short of 1/3 by about 20 million people.
Let’s see: Everybody dies, and of those deaths, 23% were from cancer in 2005. (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm)
And approximately 3.5% of the current US population has survived cancer (10.5 million survivors/300 million total population). We’re short of 1/3 by about 20 million people.
oddTodd, you left out the undiagnosed cancers, that should easily make up the extra 20 million. Acording to autopsy studies, 25% of the population has pituitary tumors, which are probably being counted as undiagnosed “cancer ” (http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/prolact/prolact.htm)
Also, Alter says “will have cancer”. You are calculating, “has or had cancer.” Medicine is getting better and better at preventing deaths due to heart disease. People are living longer. Therefore, more cases of cancer. (Cancer incidence increases like age to the sixth power, for most adult cancers.)
oddTodd, you left out the undiagnosed cancers, that should easily make up the extra 20 million. Acording to autopsy studies, 25% of the population has pituitary tumors, which are probably being counted as undiagnosed “cancer ” (http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/prolact/prolact.htm)
Also, Alter says “will have cancer”. You are calculating, “has or had cancer.” Medicine is getting better and better at preventing deaths due to heart disease. People are living longer. Therefore, more cases of cancer. (Cancer incidence increases like age to the sixth power, for most adult cancers.)