title: Cancer survivors in Switzerland: a rapidly growing population to care for.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer survivors are a heterogeneous group with complex health problems. Data concerning its total number and growing dynamics for Switzerland are scarce and outdated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population and mortality data were retrieved from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Incidence and relative survival for invasive cancers were computed using data from the cancer registries Geneva (1970-2009), St. Gallen - Appenzell (1980-2010), Grisons & Glarus (1989-2010), and Valais (1989-2010). We estimated prevalence for 1990-2010 using the Prevalence, Incidence Approach MODel (PIAMOD) method. We calculated trends in prevalence estimates by Joinpoint analysis. Projections were extrapolated using the above models and based on time trends of the period 2007-2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The estimated number of cancer survivors increased from 139'717 in 1990 (2.08% of the population) to 289'797 persons in 2010 (3.70%). The growth rate shows an exponential shape and was 3.3% per year in the period 2008 to 2010. Almost half of the survivors have a history of breast, prostate or colorectal cancer. Among cancer survivors, 55% are women but the increases have been more marked in men (p < 0.01, 3.9% annual increase in men vs. 2.7% in women since 2008). By the end of 2020 372'000 cancer survivors are expected to live in Switzerland.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a rapidly growing population of cancer survivors in Switzerland whose needs and concerns are largely unknown.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Registry St, Gallen-Appenzell, Cancer League Ostschweiz, St Gallen, Switzerland. christian.herrmann@kssg.ch
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cerny
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savidan
authors.forename: Penelope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vounatsou
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Konzelmann
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bouchardy
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ess
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology