Analysis of Population-Based Cancer Survival Data
Yingwei Peng, Binbing Yu in Cure Models, 2021
Several key statistics have been used to measure the impact of cancer on the society. The popular metrics for cancer burden include incidence, mortality, prevalence and survival (Ellis et al., 2014; Kamangar et al., 2006). A cancer incidence is defined as the newly diagnosed cancer case during a specific time period and the incidence rate is usually expressed as the number of cancer incidence cases per 100,000 population at risk. Cancer mortality rate is defined as the number of deaths with cancer as the underlying cause of death during a specific time period, which is also expressed as the number of cancer death per 100,000 population. Cancer prevalence (rate) is defined as the number (proportion) of people alive on a specific date but previously having diagnosis of a certain type of cancer. The prevalent cases include both newly diagnosed cases and pre-existing cases. Cancer survival is typically expressed as the proportion of patients alive at certain time point after the diagnosis of cancer. These cancer statistical metrics are inter-related but distinct measures of cancer burden and progress of cancer treatment. Cancer incidence is the main measure of cancer burden in a population and cancer mortality rates is usually regarded as the best indicator of progress against cancer. Cancer survival is a primary endpoint for evaluating cancer treatment efficacy and an important metric for monitoring and evaluating the progress of cancer control and treatment.
Herbal Therapy for Cancer
Prakash Srinivasan Timiri Shanmugam in Understanding Cancer Therapies, 2018
It is estimated that over 25% of the population of the United States will face a diagnosis of cancer during their lifetime, with more than 1.6 million new cancer patients diagnosed each year. Less than a quarter of these patients will be cured solely by surgery and/or local radiation. Most of the remainder will receive systemic chemotherapy at some time during their illness. Despite considerable efforts and development of various treatment approaches, cancer remains an aggressive disease worldwide. However, early detection, accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment, including pain relief and palliative care, help to increase cancer survival rates and reduce suffering. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, tailored to tumor stage, type, and available resources (World Health Organization [WHO] 2016a).
Cancer
Deborah Fish Ragin in Health Psychology, 2017
Improved cancer survival rates also allow researchers more time to learn about and understand cancer: the causes as well as effective prevention strategies and treatments. Therefore, in this chapter, we focus the discussion of cancer on the same three areas: the causes of cancer, its prevention, and its treatment. As in the preceding chapters on cardiovascular disease and chronic pain and arthritis, we begin by reviewing basic information about the disease, its definition, and its origins. Like arthritis, cancer is an umbrella term used to describe a collection of diseases. There are many different types of cancer; therefore, we will focus on the five most frequently occurring forms of the illness in the United States: lung, prostate, breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers.
Age-specific survival trends and life-years lost in women with breast cancer 1990–2016: the NORDCAN survival studies
Published in Acta Oncologica, 2022
Frida E. Lundberg, Niels Kroman, Mats Lambe, Therese M.-L. Andersson, Gerda Engholm, Tom Børge Johannesen, Anni Virtanen, David Pettersson, Elínborg J. Ólafsdóttir, Helgi Birgisson, Paul C. Lambert, Lina Steinrud Mørch, Anna L. V. Johansson
The strengths of the study included the population-based approach covering a population of more than 27 million inhabitants, and the additional 13 years of diagnosis data compared to the previous Nordic trend analysis [3]. The Nordic countries have similar tax-funded healthcare systems, including cancer screening programs, available to all residents. Trends in cancer survival are important for assessing how well healthcare systems meet the needs for diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the population. For this purpose a powerful database such as NORDCAN plays a vital role. We reported a wide range of survival measures, including new statistical techniques to improve comparability across countries. With improved survival and more high-quality data available both in the Nordic countries and beyond, there is an increasing need for new methods and a variety of measures to quantify the survival experience of different patients.
Age moderates the association between psychological distress and engagement in mindfulness among cancer patients and survivors: A population-based study
Published in Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 2020
Anao Zhang, Rita Hu, Kaipeng Wang, Erin Peregine Antalis
The national cancer survival rate has increased by 20% over the past three decades, with an estimated 15.5 million cancer survivors in the United States in 2016.1 The number is expected to increase to 20.3 million by 2026. As the number of cancer survivors significantly increases over the years, cancer survivors’ psychosocial wellbeing starts to receive enhanced attention. Psycho-oncology literature has consistently documented that cancer survivors, including patients receiving active treatment and those who are receiving survivorship-oriented care, are at high risk of experiencing psychological distress such as depression, anxiety, fear of recurrence and mortality, and poor quality of life.2–4 More importantly, the prevalence of psychosocial challenges is consistent across the life span of cancer population.2,5,6
Trends in cancer survival in the Nordic countries 1990–2016: the NORDCAN survival studies
Published in Acta Oncologica, 2020
Frida E. Lundberg, Therese M.-L. Andersson, Mats Lambe, Gerda Engholm, Lina Steinrud Mørch, Tom Børge Johannesen, Anni Virtanen, David Pettersson, Elínborg J. Ólafsdóttir, Helgi Birgisson, Anna L. V. Johansson, Paul C. Lambert
Reasons for the observed improvement in cancer survival are likely to be multifactorial involving major changes over the last 30 years not only in diagnostic and treatment options, but also in policies and resource allocation. Similar improvements have also been seen in countries outside the Nordic region [1,2]. From the early 2000s, national cancer plans or strategies were implemented in the Nordic countries aiming to improve early detection and delivery of cancer care, starting in Denmark (2000), in Norway (2006), Sweden (2011) and very recently in Iceland (2019). Similar efforts have been undertaken in Finland. The national cancer plans have been developed with a focus on the patient perspective and include components such as uniform national cancer care guidelines, contact nurses, multidisciplinary treatment decisions, individualized management plans, centralization of treatment to fewer centers, structured care processes and standardized pathways aiming to reduce waiting times.