Abstract
This study analyses survival in 40,392 children (age 0–14 years) and 30,187 adolescents/young
adults (age 15–24 years) diagnosed with cancer between 1995 and 2002. The cases were
from 83 European population-based cancer registries in 23 countries participating
in EUROCARE-4. Five-year survival in countries and in regional groupings of countries
was compared for all cancers combined and for major cancers. Survival for 15 rare
cancers in children was also analysed.
Five-year survival for all cancers combined was 81% in children and 87% in adolescents/young
adults. Between-country survival differences narrowed for both children and adolescents/young
adults. Relative risk of death reduced significantly, by 8% in children and by 13%
in adolescents/young adults, from 1995–1999 to 2000–2002. Survival improved significantly
over time for acute lymphoid leukaemia and primitive neuroectodermal tumours in children
and for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in adolescents/young adults.
Cancer survival in patients <25 years is poorly documented in Eastern European countries. Complete cancer registration
should be a priority for these countries as an essential part of a policy for effective
cancer control in Europe.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to European Journal of CancerAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
Ferlay J, Bray F, Pisani P, Parkin DM. GLOBOCAN 2002 cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence worldwide IARC cancer base no. 5, version 2.0. Lyon: IARC Press; 2004.
- Time trends of cancer incidence in European children (1978–1997): report from the ACCIS project.Eur J Cancer. 2006; 42: 1961-1971
- Childhood cancer survival in Europe 1978–1992: the EUROCARE study.Eur J Cancer. 2001; 37: 671-672
- Cancer survival in European adolescents and young adults.Eur J Cancer. 2003; 39: 2600-2610
- Geographical comparison of cancer survival in Europe children children (1978–1997): report from the ACCIS project.Eur J Cancer. 2006; 42: 1972-1980
- Fritz A. Percy C. Jack A. International classification of diseases for oncology. 3rd ed. World Health Organization, Geneva2000
- International classification of childhood cancer, third edition.Cancer. 2005; 103: 1457-1467
World Health Organization. International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems. 10th revision. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1992.
Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute SEER∗Stat software, version 6.3.6. <http://www.seer.cancer.gov/seerstat>.
- A computer program package for relative survival analysis.Comput Prog Biomed. 1985; 19: 197-207
- An alternative approach to monitoring cancer patient survival.Cancer. 1996; 78: 2004-2010
- The EUROCARE-4 database on cancer survival in Europe: Data standardisation, quality control and methods of statistical analysis.Eur J Cancer. 2009; 45: 909-930
- Regression models and life tables.J Royal Stat Soc B. 1972; 34: 187-200
- Childhood cancer survival in Europe.Ann Oncol. 2003; 14: V119-V127
- Cancer in children and adolescents in Europe: developments over 20 years and future challenges.Eur J Cancer. 2006; 42: 2183-2190
- Pattern of care and survival for adolescents and young adults with acute leukaemia – a population-based study.Brit J Cancer. 1999; 79: 658-665
- National survival trends of young adults with sarcoma: lack of progress is associated with lack of clinical trial participation.Cancer. 2005; 103: 1891-1897
- Keynote comment: challenges of teenage and young-adult oncology.Lancet Oncol. 2006; 7: 612-613
- Clinical characteristics, biologic features and outcome for young adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.Brit J Haematol. 2005; 130: 166-173
- Adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: emerging from the shadow of paediatric and adult treatment protocols.Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2006; 47: 748-756
- The challenge of very rare tumours in childhood: the Italian TREP project.Eur J Cancer. 2007; 43: 654-659
- Guidelines for surgical treatment of hepatoblastoma in the modern era-recommendations from the childhood liver tumour strategy group of the international society of paediatric oncology (SIOPEL).Eur J Cancer. 2005; 41: 1031-1036
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 24, 2009
Accepted:
November 4,
2008
Received in revised form:
September 25,
2008
Received:
June 4,
2008
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
