European countries face a cancer 'time bomb' unless officials plan for the healthcare needs of an ageing population, a major conference heard today.
Kathy Redmond, a nurse and editor of the magazine Cancer World, told the European Cancer Conference that there are 'huge issues' that need to be addressed in cancer care.
'It is almost impossible to predict what the reality will be in 2020,' she said. 'But one thing is certain: there will be many more elderly people living with cancer. There is still far too much complacency about this time bomb.'
As the population ages and lives longer, Ms Redmond said, people are likely to develop a number of conditions, one of which may be cancer.
But if resources are not put towards training healthcare professionals then there will not be enough workers with the skills and knowledge about both cancer and the best care of the elderly.
'At present there is a problem with persistent negative attitudes to the elderly. Such attitudes mean that many elderly cancer patients receive sub-optimal cancer care,' said Ms Redmond.
She told delegates that improved technology and targeted medicines could resolve some of the issues facing cancer care for the elderly but warned that a 'digital divide' is likely, where those who are IT-literate will benefit the most from online information.
'Policy makers need to plan and invest today to ensure that there will be an adequate infrastructure in place to care for the vastly increased numbers of cancer patients in 2020,' Ms Redmond concluded.
'Patients should have a voice in policy discussions to make sure that future cancer services address disparities and guarantee a minimum quality of care for all.'
The European Cancer Conference is taking place in Barcelona until September 27th.
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