10-year survival rate for cancer climbs to 56.3 percent

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The 10-year survival rate of cancer patients in Japan rose to 56.3 percent, 0.8 point up from a survey a year ago, a research team including members of the National Cancer Center Japan announced on April 9.

The survival rate of patients with early stage bowel cancer and breast cancer exceeded 90 percent. The team said periodical medical checkups are important as early detection tends to increase the survival rate.

The study targeted 70,285 patients from ages 5-94 who were treated at 20 hospitals nationwide specializing in cancer between 2002 and 2005. The survival rate was calculated by omitting causes other than cancer that could lead to the deaths of those patients.

The survival rate for prostate cancer was the highest, at 95.7 percent, followed by thyroid cancer at 84.3 percent, breast cancer at 83.9 percent and uterine body cancer at 80 percent.

The survival rate for bowel cancer was 66.3 percent, followed by stomach cancer at 64.2 percent, lung cancer at 31 percent and liver cancer at 14.6 percent.

“The risk of recurrence differs depending on the kinds of cancers. We want patients to see the process in the long term according to their own situation,” said Fumihiko Wakao, the director of the Center for Cancer Control and Information Services of the National Cancer Center.

Details of the study are available on the website of the Japanese Association of Clinical Cancer Centers (Japanese only): (http://www.zengankyo.ncc.go.jp/etc/).

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