Survival rates for cancer patients in Austria from 1985 to 2005

The recent analysis included 758 266 cancer cases documented from 1985 to 2009 by the Austrian National Cancer Registry. Several crucial trends were detected, which are widely in line with international findings. In the last 25 years a markedly gain in cancer survival was observed, but we have to consider that all cancers combined represent a broad variety of cancer diseases. Cancer stage at diagnosis, as well as age and sex proved to be the strongest predictors of overall cancer survival. The current analysis shows an improvement in 5-year cumulative relative survival from diagnoses in 1985 to diagnoses in 2005 increasing from 44% to 62% (+18 percentage points) for both sexes together, from 38% to 61% in men, and from 49% to 63% in women. In other words, compared to the survival probability of the general population the survival probability for a cancer patient diagnosed in 1985 for a time span of five years was only 0.44 times as high whereas for a cancer patient diagnosed in 2005 it was already 0.62 times as high. Generally, women have an advantage in cancer survival, but the sex difference has diminished within the last decades as the gain in survival has increased stronger in men. However, it is distressing that the survival probability for patients whose tumors had already set metastases at diagnosis did not really change over the years. Interpreting the results of survival analysis one has to bear in mind several methodological limits like lead-time bias and over-diagnosis. Those extend survival time even if death is not postponed. As well quality of life cannot be assessed with this method.

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