Oncology

Cancer is one of the largest pharmacological indications in the U.S. Drug sales for cancer treatments are expected to more than double over the next 5 years, with cancer drugs replacing cholesterol-reducers as the number one pharmaceutical sector, according to a report from IMS Health. Today, most cancers are linked to a few controllable factors: tobacco use, poor diet, lack of exercise, infectious disease, and genetic disposition. The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 11.1 million Americans with a history of cancer were alive in 2003. About 1,479,350 new cancer cases were expected to be diagnosed in 2009. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S., exceeded only by heart disease. Approximately 600,000 Americans were expected to die of cancer in 2009.