Japan Shows 5-Yr Cancer Survival Rates Using National Registry

Tokyo, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–The health ministry has released for the first time five-year survival rates for new cancer patients by cancer site that are based on data from Japan’s national registry. According to the data on some 990,000 people diagnosed with cancer in 2016 across the country, which were released Wednesday, prostate cancer logged the highest net survival rate of 92.1 pct among 88,961 patients aged 15 or older. The lowest rate was 11.8 pct for 39,247 pancreatic cancer patients. The rate stood at 88.0 pct for 97,250 breast cancer patients, 67.8 pct for 159,093 bowel cancer patients, 64.0 pct for 132,588 stomach cancer patients and 37.7 pct for 123,791 lung cancer patients. For patients below 15, the net survival rate of those diagnosed with lymphocyte or lymphoreticular tumor was 95.7 pct among 114 patients. Leukemia, lymphoproliferative disorders and myelodysplastic syndrome logged 82.2 pct among 436 patients. The rate stood at 60.8 pct among 293 patients diagnosed with central nervous system, intracranial or spinal cord tumor. The ministry said that the rates should be taken with caution when the number of cases is low. The cancer registration promotion law, which took effect in 2013, mandates all hospitals, as well as clinics that have agreed, to submit information of cancer patients. The survival rates are based on data recorded on the national cancer registry under the law. Japan previously released five-year cancer survival rates through the National Cancer Center, based on regional registries such as those run by prefectural governments. But the regional registries had problems such as duplicate registrations of cases in which patients visit different doctors across prefectural borders. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]