Survival from common and rare cancers in Germany in the early 21st century

• Published in: Annals of oncology Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 472 - 479
• Main Authors: Hiripi, E., Gondos, A., Emrich, K., Holleczek, B., Katalinic, A., Luttmann, S., Sirri, E., Brenner, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2012; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; cancer survival; Female; Germany; Germany - epidemiology; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Neoplasms - mortality; period analysis; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Registries - statistics & numerical data; SEER Program; Survival Analysis; United States - epidemiology; Europe; Germany; United States; Germany; cancer survival; period analysis; Analysis; Early; Malignant tumor; Survival; Cancer
• ISSN: 0923-7534; 1569-8041
• DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdr131

Until recently, population-based data of cancer survival in Germany mostly relied on one registry covering ∼1 million people (1.3% of the German population). Here, we provide up-to-date cancer survival estimates for Germany based on data from 11 population-based cancer registries, covering 33 million people and compare them to survival estimates from the United States. Cancer patients diagnosed in 1997–2006 were included. Period analysis was employed to calculate 5-year relative survival for 38 cancers for 2002–2006. German and USA survival rates were compared utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results 13 database. Five-year relative survival >80% was observed for testicular cancer (93.5%), skin melanoma (89.4%), cancers of the prostate (89.1%) and thyroid (87.8%), Hodgkin’s lymphoma (84.5%) and cancers of the breast (83.7%) and endometrium (81.0%), which together account for almost 40% of cases. For the majority of cancers, German survival estimates were close to or below those in the United States. Exceptions with higher survival in Germany were cancers of the stomach, pancreas and kidney and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. German cancer survival estimates are mostly higher than the 2000–2002 pan-European estimates. Further research is needed to investigate causes responsible for differences between German and USA cancer survival rates.