There are many burdens that come with cancer. But there is one burden gaining in strength as we age. It's become a topic of recent study and appeared Tuesday in the online Journal of Oncology Practice.Think about this:
The graying of America will grow the number of cancer patients and survivors 55 percent by the year 2020. And some believe doctors might not be able to cope with the increasing burden.
It's the increase in cancer diagnoses, the growth in the number of Americans over the age of 65, and higher cancer survival rates due to early detection and better treatments that together will cause a shortage of doctors and nurses to care for so many sick people.
In addition, more than half of medical oncologists are older than 65 and could retire soon. And while there are more than enough younger doctors to replace these retirees, they still won't be able to keep up with the demand.
By 2020, the country could be short 4,000 cancer specialists.
