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An update on cancer survival

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by Larry F. Ellison and Kathryn Wilkins

Abstract
Keywords
Findings
Authors

Abstract

Statistics Canada routinely produces cohort-based estimates for cancer survival; the most recent were based on cases diagnosed from 1992 to 2000. This report provides predicted survival estimates for cases diagnosed more recently. Using records from the Canadian Cancer Registry linked to the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Data Base, cancer- and age-specific estimates of relative survival have been calculated for 2004 to 2006. The five-year relative survival ratio (RSR) for all cancers combined was 62%, and ranged from 6% for pancreatic cancer to 98% for cancer of the thyroid. The RSR was typically higher at younger than older ages, with exceptions for some common cancers.  From 1992-1994 to 2004-2006, the five-year RSR for a number of cancers increased—usually slightly, but in some cases, appreciably (for example, the age-standardized RSR for non-Hodgkin lymphoma rose from 51% to 63%; for leukemia, from 44% to 54%; and for liver, 9% to 17%).

Keywords

neoplasms, population surveillance, prognosis, registries, survival analysis

Findings

A diagnosis of cancer does not usually mean that death is imminent. The five-year survival of Canadians diagnosed with invasive cancer is predicted to be, on average, 62% of that of an otherwise similar group of people without cancer. Of course, the term “cancer” is used to refer to myriad malignancies—each of which confers a distinct illness and prognosis. Some cancers are far more lethal, and within a shorter time-span, than are others...[Full text]

Authors

Larry F. Ellison (1-613-951-5244; Larry.Ellison@statcan.gc.ca) is with the Health Statistics Division and Kathryn Wilkins (1-613-951-1769) is with the Health Analysis Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6.