Risk of Cancer-Specific Death May Remain Elevated for 30 Years

Patients with common cancers are generally more likely to die from causes other than their cancer, according to research published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum. The study suggested that, for most common cancers, patients who survived more than 10 years after diagnosis were unlikely to die from their primary cancer. However, more than 80% of patients with lung or bronchus cancer died from their primary cancer, most within the first 5 years after diagnosis. In addition, patients with prostate or breast cancer had an increased risk of cancer-specific mortality that persisted for 30 to 35 years after diagnosis.