Cancer Survival

Abstract

Population-based cancer survival statistics indicate the survival of all persons diagnosed with cancer in a given population. Survival for the different types of cancer differs widely, and survival is usually estimated separately for each type of cancer. This article illustrates how to estimate and interpret the observed, cause-specific and relative survival proportions, the proportion of cured patients, the mean survival time and the proportion of persons who die from cancer, and how to obtain age-standardized estimates and the effects of prognostic factors using regression modeling. Finally, some issues and limits for the interpretation of the estimates are elucidated.JRC.F.1 - Disease Preventio