Survival from cancer in the north region of Portugal: results from the first decade of the millennium

Cancer survival improvements in the north region of Portugal during the 2001-2010 were not universal for all cancer sites. A significant increase in net survival was observed for stomach, colon, pancreas, larynx, melanoma, breast, brain and central nervous system, thyroid, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. No significant changes in survival were found for gynaecological tumours neither for oesophagus, rectum, liver, prostate, kidney and bladder cancer. This study presented an important picture of population-based cancer survival outcomes for the first decade of the millennium in this region of the country. These results should be used to highlight tumours where intervention is needed the most.

Authors and Affiliations:

Luís Antunes^a, Lúcio L. Santos^b and Maria José Bento^a,c

^a Department of Epidemiology, North Region Cancer Registry of Portugal,

^b Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, IPO Porto Research Centre (CI-IPOP), Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)

^c Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine (UMIB), Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to evaluate net survival from cancer diagnosed during the period 2001/2010 in the north region of Portugal to identify the tumours that need actions to improve the outcomes. Data were retrieved from the North Region Cancer Registry of Portugal database. The top 20 cancer sites in adults were considered: oesophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, liver, larynx, lung, skin melanoma, breast, cervix, corpus uteri, ovary, prostate, kidney, bladder, brain and central nervous system, thyroid, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Net survival was estimated using the Pohar–Perme estimator. The effect of diagnosis period was evaluated using flexible parametric models adjusted for age and sex where appropriate. Thyroid and prostate cancers presented the best 5-year survival (>90%), whereas oesophagus, pancreas, liver and lung cancers the worst 5-year survival (<20%). The largest increase in survival was observed for the larynx. A significant decrease in age-adjusted and sex-adjusted excess mortality was observed for stomach, colon, pancreas, larynx, melanoma, breast, brain and central nervous system, thyroid, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. For the other cancer sites, no significant trends were observed. For some of these sites, the downward trend in excess mortality was only observed in the short term. An important picture of population-based cancer survival outcomes for the first decade of the millennium in the north region of Portugal was presented in this study. It has been shown that improvements in survival were not universal for all cancer sites. These results should be used to highlight tumours where intervention is needed the most.

Journal: European Journal of Cancer Prevention

Link: http://journals.lww.com/eurjcancerprev/Abstract/publishahead/Survival_from_cancer_in_the_north_region_of.99319.aspx