How cancer recovery has improved thanks to early diagnosis and chemotherapy

The Princess of Wales has told cancer sufferers “you are not alone” after revealing she has been diagnosed with the disease in an emotional video statement.

Cancer survival has doubled in the last 50 years thanks to advances in treatment, better detection and diagnosis through screening and a greater awareness of the disease more generally.

As a result, half of those who are diagnosed with cancer will survive for 10 years or more, although that will vary considerably from one type of cancer to another.

Survival rates of 10 years or more range from 98 per cent for testicular cancer to just 1 per cent for pancreatic cancer, according to Cancer Research UK.

More than 375,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK and there are more than 167,000 deaths from the disease.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, followed by prostate cancer, lung cancer and bowel cancer.

Survival is higher in women than men and is typically higher in people diagnosed under 40 years of age – with the Princess of Wales being 42.

Advances in chemotherapy have played a key role in improving survival rates and the Princess has announced that she is in the early stages of that treatment after detecting cancer. The Princess has not revealed what form of cancer she has been diagnosed with.

Chemotherapy works by killing existing cancer cells and can help prevent the disease coming back.

There are many different types of chemotherapy, but the most common types are tablets and liquids that are put directly into the vein (intravenous chemotherapy).

Kate is having a kind known as preventative chemotherapy, also called adjuvant chemotherapy, which aims to stop cancer coming back once the main tumour has been removed from the body.

That’s because cancer can spread to other parts of the body but can be difficult to detect, so doctors often advise patients to have preventative chemotherapy to try to eradicate any remaining traces of the disease.

“Preventive chemotherapy after surgery is given to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back in the future – a bit like mopping a floor with bleach when you’ve spilt something on it, chemotherapy kills any spilt cells,” said Professor Andrew Beggs, of Birmingham University.

He added: “Young onset cancer is by no means rare. I run a clinic for early-onset cancer in adults and we are seeing more and more people in their 40s with cancer.”

“Young people can better tolerate higher doses of chemotherapy and so can be given stronger regimens that are more likely to kill any left over cells,” he said.

Shivan Sivakumar, also of Birmingham University, said: “Ultimately it is the biology of your cancer and how you tolerate chemotherapy that determines its success. How you tolerate chemotherapy is determined by your ‘baseline’ health status. The younger you are, the more likely you are to tolerate chemotherapy well.”

Common symptoms of cancer:

Symptoms can vary depending on the type of cancer but there are a number of general symptoms, according to Cancer Research UK

• Very heavy night sweats or fever
• Fatigue
• Unexplained bleeding or bruising
• Unexplained pain or ache
• Unexplained weight loss
• Unusual lump or swelling anywhere

Chemotherapy can be given before or after surgery, or on its own.

It can also be given in a palliative way, when the cancer has spread and chemotherapy is not being used to cure the disease, but it helps ease symptoms.

Chemotherapy can be used even when surgeons believe they have removed all the cancer, owing to the risk the disease might come back.

This can lower the risk of a cancer recurrence or a new cancer.

It can also be combined with other treatments to make them more effective, such as when it is used alongside radiotherapy.

Chemotherapy given into a vein is usually carried out as an outpatient hospital procedure, whereas chemotherapy tablets can be taken at home, with regular check-ups from medical staff.

Sometimes, people have more than one type of chemotherapy.

How long they need treatment for also depends on the stage and type of cancer.
Side-effects of chemotherapy occur because healthy cells are damaged alongside any cancer cells.

Treatment can therefore make people feel very tired and nauseous, and cause them to vomit and lose their hair.

People undergoing chemotherapy are also at an increased risk of getting infections, a sore mouth, dry, sore or itchy skin and bowel issues.

Sometimes, other medicines are given to patients to help with these side-effects.

The head of the NHS has said she is sorry to hear the “shocking news” of the Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis and has praised her bravery.

NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said “speaking out about it is really brave” and could help other people in a similar situation.