Coinciding with February 4, World Cancer Day, the cancer numbers in Spain for this 2023 have been published. In total, it is expected that 279,260 new cases of cancer will be registered throughout the State, compared to 280,100 in 2022, according to the figures published by the Sociedad Española de Oncología Médica (SEOM) in its report "Las cifras del cáncer en España 2023". These figures do not account for the effects of COVID-19 in terms of diagnostic delays.
By gender, the incidence in men will be 158,544 cases and 120,715 new diagnoses in women. Regarding survival, of the patients diagnosed between 2008 and 2013, it has been 55.3% in men and 61.7% in women. In Catalonia, the incidence of cancer in 2022 was 37,736 new diagnoses, 21,285 in men and 16,451 in women. These figures show an increase in cases of 14.47% compared to 2021, where the incidence was 32,967 cases. The 5-year survival rate has been 56% in men and 64% in women.
The evolution of the figures demonstrates a paradigm change in terms of overcoming or making the disease chronic. Thanks to the investment that is being made in research in the oncological field that made possible to improve treatments and survival rates, cancer is now spoken of as a disease that tends to become chronic. This shows that, in addition to caring for people who are going through cancer treatment or who have just received a diagnosis, we also have to guarantee the well-being and equal rights for people who have overcome or chronic cancer and who often encounter difficulties in this new stage that is presented to them.
In this sense, the Federació Catalana d'Entitats contra el Càncer (FECEC) calls on the administrations to protect the social and employment situation of people who have overcome cancer to guarantee, among other aspects, their reintegration into progressive work and adapted to your new situation. One of the actions of the FECEC, Junts contra el Càncer is the request in the Congreso de los Diputados to end the period for presenting amendments to 124/000012 Law Proposal to improve the social and labor protection of people who have been diagnosed with a serious illness or carcinoma. The proposal, approved in the Senate in May, is still pending in the Spanish parlament. FECEC requests the process to be accelerated so that the law will be approved in the current mandate. This pending legislative initiative is essential to continue advancing in the social and labor protection of people with cancer. Thus, the Federació Catalana d'Entitats contra el Càncer (FECEC) has presented some proposals to improve the text that mainly refer to the need for a progressive return to work without this implying a pay cut; the reservation of the workplace for 4 years to people in a situation of disability and that the employment relationship will be not suspended during this reservation period so that it counts for seniority purposes; and the provision of resources to companies to ensure a better reintegration of people affected by cancer or to hire people who have overcome the disease.
WORLD DAY AGAINST CANCER AND ACTIVITIES OF ENTITIES
As every year, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) promotes the World Cancer Day, this year under the campaign theme "Close the care gap". On the other hand, the entities adhered to FECEC, Junts contra el Càncer organize a series of activities to raise awareness about cancer and raise funds for the fight against this disease.
Author: FECEC