In an article in The Lancet, Allemani et al reported findings from the CONCORD program for global surveillance of cancer survival trends updated through 2014 (CONCORD-3).
Study Details
CONCORD-3 includes data on 37.5 million patients diagnosed with cancer between 2000 and 2014 from 322 population-based cancer registries in 71 countries and territories, of which 47 provided data with 100% population coverage. The program covers 18 cancers or groups of cancers, including cancers of the esophagus; stomach; colon; rectum; liver; pancreas; lung; breast (women); cervix; ovary; prostate; melanoma of the skin in adult; and brain tumors, leukemias, and lymphomas in both adults and children.
Findings for 5-year net survival rates included the following:
The investigators concluded, “The CONCORD program enables timely comparisons of the overall effectiveness of health systems in providing care for 18 cancers that collectively represent 75% of all cancers diagnosed worldwide every year. It contributes to the evidence base for global policy on cancer control. Since 2017, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has used findings from the CONCORD program as the official benchmark of cancer survival, among their indicators of the quality of health care in 48 countries worldwide. Governments must recognize population-based cancer registries as key policy tools that can be used to evaluate both the impact of cancer prevention strategies and the effectiveness of health systems for all patients diagnosed with cancer.”
The study was funded by the American Cancer Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Swiss Re, Swiss Cancer Research Foundation, Swiss Cancer League, Institut National du Cancer, La Ligue Contre le Cancer, Rossy Family Foundation, National Cancer Institute, and Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Claudia Allemani, PhD, of the Cancer Survival Group, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, is the corresponding author for The Lancet article.
The content in this post has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.