Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Global cancer survival rates improve, but wide gaps remain

Global cancer survival rates improve, but wide gaps remain
Last Updated: 2018-01-31
By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Cancer patients' survival prospects are improving, even for some of the deadliest types such as lung cancer, but there are huge disparities between countries, particularly for children, according to a study published on Wednesday.

In the most up-to-date study of cancer survival trends - between 2010 and 2014 - covering countries that are home to two-thirds of the world's people, researchers found some significant progress, but also wide variations.

While brain tumor survival in children has improved in many countries, the study showed that for children diagnosed as recently as 2014, five-year survival is twice as high in Denmark and Sweden, at around 80%, as it is in Mexico and Brazil, at less than 40%.

This gap was most likely due to variations in the availability and quality of cancer diagnosis and treatment services, the researchers said.

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