Hopeful: more and more people with metastatic cancer are living longer

The survival rate for patients with metastatic cancer is increasing. Thanks to new treatments, they are living longer and longer. After three years, one in five people (21 percent) is still alive.

In 2018, this figure was still 17 percent. This is evident from new research from the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Centre (IKNL).

In one in five people, the cancer has already metastasized when it's discovered. With metastatic cancer, the cancer cells have spread to a different location than where they originated. "That's a profound and frightening message," says IKNL. "For many, it's synonymous with the realization: I'm going to die. Yet, that perception is changing. Some patients are living longer and longer with metastatic cancer."

This is thanks to new treatments, such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy. These treatments not only offer extra time but also a better quality of life.

But the "gains" are still unevenly distributed. Half of this group dies within seven months of diagnosis. And the impact of the news remains undiminished. In the final year of life, quality of life declines sharply, especially in the last three months. Furthermore, one in four patients faces potentially inappropriate care in their final months. This means that the benefits no longer outweigh the risks.

Patients with pancreatic, gastric, lung, bile duct, and gallbladder cancer most often have metastases at diagnosis. Nearly half of all lung cancer patients have metastases at diagnosis. "This is likely because the symptoms and complaints of lung cancer are only experienced at a late stage." People with melanoma are least likely to have metastases at diagnosis.

Survival rates vary significantly by type of cancer. People with prostate or breast cancer live the longest on average. The greatest progress has been made in melanoma, kidney cancer, and lung cancer, thanks to new treatments.

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