gms | German Medical Science

50. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie (gmds)
12. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Epidemiologie (dae)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie
Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Epidemiologie

12. bis 15.09.2005, Freiburg im Breisgau

Long-term survival of cancer patients in Germany achieved by the beginning of the third millennium

Meeting Abstract

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  • Hermann Brenner - Deutsches Zentrum für Alternsforschung, Heidelberg
  • Christa Stegmaier - Epidemiologisches Krebsregister Saarland, Saarbrücken
  • Hartwig Ziegler - Epidemiologisches Krebsregister, Saarbrücken

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie. Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Epidemiologie. 50. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie (gmds), 12. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Epidemiologie. Freiburg im Breisgau, 12.-15.09.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc05gmds055

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/gmds2005/05gmds203.shtml

Published: September 8, 2005

© 2005 Brenner et al.
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Outline

Text

Background and Aims

Over the last decades, long-term survival rates have substantially increased for many forms of cancer due to advances in early detection and therapy. However, these improvements have often been detected with substantial delay by traditional methods of survival analyses [1], [2], [3]. A few years ago, a new method of survival analysis, denoted period analysis has been introduced to provide more up-to-date estimates of long-term cancer patient survival [4]. The aim of this study was to provide up-to-date estimates of long-term cancer survival rates achieved in Germany at the beginning of the 3rd millennium.

Material und Methods

Using data of the population-based Saarland Cancer Registry, 5- and 10-year relative survival rates were derived for patients with 24 common forms of cancer in Saarland/Germany for the years 2000-2002 by period analysis and compared to conventional cohort estimates of 5- and 10-year relative survival rates pertaining to patients diagnosed in 1990-1992.

Results

For many forms of cancer, the 2000-2002 period survival estimates were substantially higher than the corresponding estimates for the cohorts of patients diagnosed in 1990-1992. For example, 10-year relative survival rates achieved in 2000-2002 were close to 100% for patients with testis and thyroid cancer, above 85% for patients with melanomas of the skin, around 80% for patients with endometrial cancer and prostate cancer, close to 70% for patients with breast cancer and kidney cancer, and close to 60% for patients with colon cancer and lymphomas.

Discussion

According to previous extensive evaluations, even the most up-to-date period estimates of long-term survival still tend to be somewhat too pessimistic, when there is ongoing improvement in prognosis, albeit much less so than traditional survival estimates [5], [6], [7]. Survival expectations of patients diagnosed with cancer in Germany at the beginning of the 3rd millennium are therefore most likely substantially higher than previously available survival statistics have suggested [8].


References

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