A palliative care expert has spoken about the need to care for the rising number of people living for long periods with cancer.

Figures published this week showed that people are twice as likely to live at least 10 years after being diagnosed with cancer than they were at the start of 1970s.

Research carried out by Macmillan Cancer Support showed that 170,000 people in the UK who were diagnosed with cancer in the 1970s and 1980s are still alive. By 2030, it is predicted that 71,600 people in Hertfordshire will be living with it.

Watford’s Peace Hospice Care has warned about the impact this has on their resources, with only 23 per cent of their funding coming from the NHS.

Sarah Klinger, consultant in palliative medicine at Peace Hospice Care, said: “In palliative care we are seeing an increase in the number of patients who are living longer with cancers, however, this has also meant that they have complex needs.

“At Peace Hospice Care, we are seeing these patients at an earlier stage through our Starlight Centre, which offers a range of services to help patients and carers manage long term effects of cancer in a safe and friendly environment.

“As we are supporting patients over a longer period of time this has an impact on the resources within the charity. Currently, only 23 per cent of our funding comes from the NHS and in order to support these patients for longer periods we are even more reliant on the generosity of the community.”

Watford Observer:

The increase in long-term cancer survivors is due to more sophisticated treatment combined with an ageing population. As people survive longer there can be long-term side effects ranging from leg-swelling in women following breast cancer to emotional trauma.

And with the number of cancer sufferers set to rise from 2.5 million to four million by 2030, more people will require support.

Michelle Cunliffe, strategic partnership manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “We know that thousands of people across Hertfordshire are living with cancer.

“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.”