Abstract
We analysed data from 49 cancer registries in 18 European countries over the period
1988–1999 to delineate time trends in cancer survival. Survival increased in Europe
over the study period for all cancer sites that were considered. There were major
survival increases in 5 year age-adjusted relative survival for prostate (from 58%
to 79%), colon and rectum (from 48% to 54% men and women), and breast (from 74% to
83%). Improvements were also significant for stomach (from 22% to 24%), male larynx
(from 62% to 64%), skin melanoma (from 78% to 83%), Hodgkin disease (from 77% to 83%),
non-Hodgkin lymphoma (from 49% to 56%), leukaemias (from 37% to 42%), and for all
cancers combined (from 34% to 39% in men, and from 52% to 59% in women). Survival
did not change significantly for female larynx, lung, cervix or ovary. The largest
increases in survival typically occurred in countries with the lowest survival, and
contributed to the overall reduction of survival disparities across Europe over the
study period.
Differences in the extent of PSA testing and mammographic screening, and increasing
use of colonscopy and faecal blood testing together with improving cancer care are
probably the major underlying reasons for the improvements in survival for cancers
of prostate, breast, colon and rectum. The marked survival improvements in countries
with poor survival may indicate that these countries have made efforts to adopt the
new diagnostic procedures and the standardised therapeutic protocols in use in more
affluent countries.
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
- Estève J. De Angelis G. Verdecchia A. Trends in cancer survival probability in Europe over the period 1978–1989. Survival of cancer patients in Europe: the EUROCARE-2 study (IARC scientific publications no. 151). International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon1999
- Recent cancer survival in Europe: a 2000–2002 period analysis.Lancet Oncol. 2007; 8: 784-796
- The EUROCARE-4 database of cancer survival in Europe: Data standardization, quality control and methods of statistical analysis.Eur J Cancer. 2009; 45: 909-930
- Standard cancer population for estimating age standardized survival ratios.Eur J Cancer. 2004; 40: 2307-2316
- Meta-analysis in clinical trials.Control Clin Trials. 1986; 7: 177-188
Berrino F, Capocaccia R, Coleman MP, et al., editors. Survival of cancer patients in Europe. The EUROCARE-3 study. Ann Oncol 2003;14(Suppl. 5):v9–155.
- Comparison of time trends in stomach cancer incidence (1973–1997) in East Asia, Europe and USA, from cancer incidence in five continents, vol. IV–VIII.J Clin Oncol. 2007; 37: 242-243
- GLOBOCAN 2002: cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence worldwide. IARC cancer base no. 5 (version 2.0).IARC Press, Lyon2004
- Explaining gastric cancer survival differences among European countries.Int J Cancer. 2004; 109: 737-741
- Clinicopathologic characteristics of gastric cancer in a young patient population.J Gastrointest Surg. 2004; 8: 240-244
- Prognostic comparison of the pathological classifications of gastric cancer: a population-based study.Histopathology. 1998; 33: 304-310
- Locally advanced and metastatic gastric cancer: current management and new treatment developments.Drugs. 2008; 68: 299-317
- Tumori. 1997; 83: 1-507
- Relationship of diagnostic and therapeutic delay with survival in colorectal cancer: a review.Eur J Cancer. 2007; 43: 2467-2478
- Cetuximab plus FOLFOX-4 for fully resected stage III colon carcinoma: scientific background and the ongoing PETACC-8 trial.Exp Rev Anticancer Ther. 2008; 8: 183-189
The NHS cancer plan: a plan for investment, a plan for reform. <http://www.dh.gov.uk/>; 2006 [accessed 01.12.2006].
- Differences in treatment and survival rates of non-small-cell lung cancer in three regions of France.Brit J Cancer. 1995; 72: 1278-1282
- Early lung cancer action project: overall design and findings from baseline screening.Lancet. 1999; 354: 99-105
- Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography: a non-invasive diagnostic protocol for baseline lung nodules.Lung Cancer. 2008; 61: 340-349
Organisation for economic co-operation and development. OECD health data 2004. 1st ed. Paris: OECD; 2004.
- Smoking affects prognosis after lung cancer surgery.Surg Today. 2008; 38: 227-231
- Breast cancer screening programmes in 22 countries: current policies, administration and guidelines international breast cancer screening network (IBSN) and the European network of pilot projects for breast cancer screening.Int J Epidemiol. 1998; 27: 735-742
- Early diagnosis, not differential treatment, explains better survival in service screening.Eur J Cancer. 2005; 41: 2728-2734
- Sexual behaviour and smoking as determinants of cervical HPV infection and CIN3 among those infected. A case control study nested within the Manchester cohort.Brit J Cancer. 2000; 83: 1565-1572
- Pharmaceutical management of ovarian cancer: current status.Drugs. 2008; 68: 771-789
- The impact of comorbidity and stage on ovarian cancer mortality: a nationwide Danish cohort study.BMC Cancer. 2008; 8: 31
- Interpreting trends in prostate cancer incidence and mortality in the five Nordic countries.J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007; 19: 1881-1887
- Cancer surveillance series: interpreting trends in prostate cancer – part I: evidence of the effects of screening in recent prostate cancer incidence, mortality, and survival rates.J Natl Cancer Inst. 1999; 91: 1017-1024
- Prostate-specific antigen testing in general practice. A survey among 325 general practitioners in Denmark.Scand J Urol Nephrol. 2005; 39: 3214-3218
- Advances in the treatment of haematological malignancies: optimal sequence of CML treatment.Ann Oncol. 2007; 18: 58-63
- Advances in the biology and therapy of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: moving toward a molecularly targeted approach.Blood. 2005; 106: 1164-1174
- From the bench to the bedside: emerging new treatments in multiple myeloma.Best Pract Res Clin Haematol. 2007; 20: 797-816
- Patient survival for all cancers combined as indicator of cancer control in Europe.Eur J Public Health. 2008; 18: 527-532
- Survival for eight major cancers and all cancers combined for European adults diagnosed in 1995–1999: results of the EUROCARE-4 study.Lancet Oncol. 2007; 8: 773-793
Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 05, 2009
Accepted:
November 12,
2008
Received in revised form:
November 11,
2008
Received:
July 1,
2008
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
