Europe's life expectancy with cancer is rising

Cancer survival in Europe is increasing

08/12/2013

The life expectancy of cancer patients in Europe is increasing. These are the results of the Eurocare-5 project, which collects data from 29 European countries. But there were considerable differences between the individual countries.

Data from 29 countries
The life expectancy of cancer patients in Europe is increasing. This is clear from the recently published Eurocare 5 study, the largest European cancer survival survey. The study accounts for approximately half of European adults and 77% of children diagnosed with cancer between 2000 and 2007. Overall, the study includes data on the survival of ten million cancer patients in 29 European countries and documents whether and how medical progress is reaching the European population.

German Cancer Research Center decisively involved
At the investigation, in the journal „The Lancet Oncology“ was published, the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg was significantly involved. This communicated that Europeans today survived their cancer diagnosis for more than five years ago. People in Germany have the best prognosis, for almost all cancers the survival rates are in the top group. In addition, it is gratifying that this also applies to cancerous diseases in children. „The average 5-year survival rate for all childhood cancers varies between 70% and 80% and over in Europe. Germany is back in the top group here“, said the director of the German Childhood Cancer Registry PD Dr. med. Peter Kaatsch.

Financial situation major reason for differences
But the results of the study also showed significant differences between countries. Above all, the chances for Eastern Europeans would be worse. Above all, the dramatically worse survival rates of children with cancer and lymphoma patients were striking. This is seen as a strong indication of a shortage of effective anti-cancer drugs. The cancer research center identified the financial situation of the nations as a major reason for the differences in cancer survival. Medical care and life expectancy were better the better the economic situation was. But the lifestyle, such as the smoking behavior, or offers for early detection have influence. On the positive side, the eastern states are catching up more and more and the gap is narrowing.

Differences in different cancers
Also with the different kinds of cancer enormous differences were determined. More than 80 percent of those affected by testicular, thyroid, prostate and breast cancer, melanoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma survived the first five years after diagnosis. By contrast, fewer than 15 percent of patients with pancreatic, oesophageal, lung and liver cancer were still alive five years after the cancer diagnosis. Compared to the predecessor study five years ago, overall survival rates in Europe have increased in almost all types of cancer, but tumors of the lungs and ovaries are stagnant. For rectal cancer as well as for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of lymph node cancer, the strongest improvements were noted. Study leader Roberta De Angelis of the National Center for Epidemiology in Rome suggests that this is due to better surgical technique in rectal or rectal cancer and to more effective drugs in lymph node cancer. (Ad)