136,000 people in the UK are living with chronic cancer

Published on: 12 December 2019

A recent study published by Macmillan Cancer Support has found that most people who have chronic cancer are not getting the support they need.

Macmillan cancer support logo

New research from Macmillan Cancer Support and Public Health England’s National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) has found there are 136,000 people in the UK living with chronic cancer.

Chronic cancer is cancer that is treatable, but not curable - with treatment aims to control the cancer or slow its progression, relieve symptoms, and improve quality of life. Some types of lymphoma fall into this category, with treatment aiming to control the lymphoma and send it into partial remission - with several different treatments over the course of the illness. 

Living with chronic cancer can be challenging, but we agree with Macmillan that with the right support and treatment, people with chronic cancer should be able to live their lives as fully as possible. Worryingly, Macmillan’s research showed that more than 3 in 4 people with chronic cancer are not getting the support they need - whether that is emotional, physical or financial. 

People with treatable but not curable cancer are likely to need different or more detailed information to other people with cancer on many topics, such as their likely prognosis, what clinical trials are available, and how best to keep track of their health and their care and treatment.

Macmillan Cancer Support

We want anyone affected by lymphoma to know that we are here for them and offer a range of information and support to help people live well with lymphoma, including:

  • The Living with and beyond lymphoma section of our website covers a range of topics around coping with feelings, staying healthy and everyday life
  • Our Living with lymphoma booklet includes tips on managing side effects and handling day-to-day living and can be ordered for free from our online shop
  • Our helpline team is available to talk to every weekday 10am to 3pm on freephone 0808 808 5555 or through LiveChat on our website
  • We run our award winning Live your Life workshops around the country to offer post-treatment support to help people live with and beyond lymphoma
  • We keep our Lymphoma TrialsLink database updated with relevant clinical trials that might be suitable for people affected by lymphoma

 

12 December 2019