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Purpose@#This study aimed to report the projected cancer incidence and mortality for the year 2024 to estimate Korea’s current cancer burden. @*Materials and Methods@#Cancer incidence data from 1999 to 2021 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, and cancer mortality data from 1993 to 2022 were acquired from Statistics Korea. Cancer incidence and mortality were projected by fitting a linear regression model to observed age-specific cancer rates against their respective years and multiplying the projected age-specific rates by the anticipated age-specific population for 2024. A joinpoint regression model was used to determine the year in which the linear trend changed significantly; we only used the data of the latest trend for prediction. @*Results@#In total, 292,221 new cancer cases and 83,770 cancer deaths are expected to occur in Korea in 2024. The most common cancer site is expected to be the thyroid, followed by the colon and rectum, lung, breast, and stomach. These five cancers are expected to represent 55.7% of the overall burden of cancer in Korea. The most common type of cancer leading to death is expected to be lung cancer, followed by liver, colorectal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers. @*Conclusion@#The age-standardized incidence rates for female breast and prostate cancers are estimated to continue to increase. These up-to-date estimates of the cancer burden in Korea could be an important resource for planning and evaluating cancer-control programs.
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Purpose@#The current study provides national cancer statistics and their secular trends in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2021. @*Materials and Methods@#Incidence, survival, and prevalence rates of cancer were calculated using the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, from 1999 to 2021, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2022. Deaths from cancer were assessed using causes-of-death data obtained from Statistics Korea. @*Results@#The number of new cancer diagnoses in 2021 increased by 27,002 cases (10.8%) compared to 2020. In 2021, newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer were reported as 277,523 (age-standardized rate [ASR], 289.3 per 100,000) and 82,688 (ASR, 67.6 per 100,000), respectively. The overall cancer incidence rates increased by 3.3% annually from 1999 to 2012, and decreased by 5.3% from 2012 to 2015, thereafter, followed by non-significant changes. Cancer mortality rates have been decreasing since 2002, with more rapid decline in recent years (annual decrease of 2.8% from 2002 to 2013; 3.2% from 2013 to 2021). The 5-year relative survival between 2017 and 2021 was 72.1%, which contributed to prevalent cases reaching over 2.4 million in 2021. @*Conclusion@#In 2021, the number of newly diagnosed cancer patients increased as healthcare utilization recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019–related declines of 2020. Revised cancer registration guidelines expanded the registration scope, particularly for stomach and colorectal cancer. Survival rates have improved over the years, leading to a growing population of cancer survivors, necessitating a comprehensive cancer control strategy. The long-term impact of the pandemic on cancer statistics requires future investigation.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents a substantial public health challenge in South Korea as evidenced by 10,565 new cases annually (incidence rate of 30 per 100,000 individuals), in 2020. Cancer registries play a crucial role in gathering data on incidence, disease attributes, etiology, treatment modalities, outcomes, and informing health policies. The effectiveness of a registry depends on the completeness and accuracy of data. Established in 1999 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) is a comprehensive, legally mandated, nationwide registry that captures nearly all incidence and survival data for major cancers, including HCC, in Korea. However, detailed information on cancer staging, specific characteristics, and treatments is lacking. To address this gap, the KCCR, in partnership with the Korean Liver Cancer Association (KLCA), has implemented a systematic approach to collect detailed data on HCC since 2010. This involved random sampling of 10-15% of all new HCC cases diagnosed since 2003. The registry process encompassed four stages: random case selection, meticulous data extraction by trained personnel, expert validation, anonymization of personal data, and data dissemination for research purposes. This random sampling strategy mitigates the biases associated with voluntary reporting and aligns with stringent privacy regulations. This innovative approach positions the KCCR and KLCA as foundations for advancing cancer control and shaping health policies in South Korea.
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Purpose@#As the survival of head and neck cancer (HNC) improves, survivors increasingly confront non-cancer–related deaths. This nationwide population-based study aimed to investigate non-cancer–related deaths in HNC survivors. @*Materials and Methods@#Data from the Korean Central Cancer Registry were obtained to characterize causes of death, mortality patterns, and survival in patients with HNC between 2006 and 2016 (n=40,890). Non-cancer-related mortality relative to the general population was evaluated using standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). The 5- and 10-year cause-specific competing risks probabilities of death (cumulative incidence function, CIF) and subdistribution hazards ratios (sHR) from the Fine-Gray models were estimated. @*Results@#Comorbidity-related mortality was frequent in older patients, whereas suicide was predominant in younger patients. The risk of suicide was greater in patients with HNC than in the general population (SMR, 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7 to 3.5). The probability of HNC deaths reached a plateau at 5 years (5-year CIF, 33.9%; 10-year CIF, 39.5%), whereas the probability of non-HNC deaths showed a long-term linear increase (5-year, CIF 5.6%; 10-year CIF, 11.9%). Patients who were male (sHR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.41 to 1.72), diagnosed with early-stage HNC (localized vs. distant: sHR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.58 to 2.21) and older age (65-74 vs. 0-44: sHR, 6.20; 95% CI, 4.92 to 7.82; ≥ 75 vs. 0-44: sHR, 9.81; 95% CI, 7.76 to 12.39) had an increased risk of non-cancer mortality. @*Conclusion@#Non-HNC–related deaths continue increasing. HNC survivors are at increased risk of suicide in the younger and comorbidity-related death in the older. Better population-specific surveillance awareness and survivorship plans for HNC survivors are warranted.
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Purpose@#High breast cancer incidence and dense breast prevalence among women in forties are specific to Asian. This study examined the natural history of breast cancer among Korean women. @*Materials and Methods@#We applied a three-state Markov model (i.e., healthy, preclinical, and clinical state) to fit the natural history of breast cancer to data in the Korean National Cancer Screening Program. Breast cancer was ascertained by linkage to the Korean Central Cancer Registry. Disease-progression rates (i.e., transition rates between three states), mean sojourn time (MST) and mammographic sensitivity were estimated across 10-year age groups and levels of breast density determined by the Breast Imaging, Reporting and Data System. @*Results@#Overall prevalence of dense breast was 53.9%. Transition rate from healthy to preclinical state, indicating the preclinical incidence of breast cancer, was higher among women in forties (0.0019; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0017 to 0.0021) and fifties (0.0020; 95% CI, 0.0017 to 0.0022), than women in sixties (0.0014; 95% CI, 0.0012 to 0.0017). The MSTs, in which the tumor is asymptomatic but detectable by screening, were also fastest among younger age groups, estimated as 1.98 years (95% CI, 1.67 to 2.33), 2.49 years (95% CI, 1.92 to 3.22), and 3.07 years (95% CI, 2.11 to 4.46) for women in forties, fifties, and sixties, respectively. Having dense breasts increased the likelihood of the preclinical cancer risk (1.96 to 2.35 times) and decreased the duration of MST (1.53 to 2.02 times). @*Conclusion@#This study estimated Korean-specific natural history parameters of breast cancer that would be utilized for establishing optimal screening strategies in countries with higher dense breast prevalence.
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Objective@#To investigate the incidence and survival rates of primary uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) in Korea. @*Methods@#From the Korea Central Cancer Registry, we identified patients diagnosed with primary UCS between 1999 and 2018 and collected their information, including age at diagnosis, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) summary stage, and treatment. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) and annual percent changes (APCs) were calculated. Baseline characteristics and overall survival (OS) were compared by study periods, ages, and stages at initial diagnosis. @*Results@#Overall, the incidence rate of primary UCS increased markedly during the time period: ASRs, 0.02 per 100,000 in 1999 and 0.25 per 100,000 in 2018 (APC, 13.9%; p<0.001). No difference in OS was observed between patients diagnosed in 1999–2008 and those diagnosed in 2009–2018 (5-year survival rate, 46.0% vs. 48.6%; p=0.871). Considering the mean patient age at diagnosis of UCS, we divided the study population into 2 groups. Patients aged ≥60 years had a more frequent prior radiation history, received less multi-modality treatment, and showed worse OS than those aged <60 years (5-year survival rate, 42.7% vs. 53.6%; p=0.001). In multivariate analysis, both old age at diagnosis (≥60 years) and the SEER summary stage were identified as independent poor prognostic factors for OS, whereas radiation history before the diagnosis of UCS was not. @*Conclusion@#The incidence rate of UCS in Korea increased significantly from 1999 to 2018. Advanced stage and old age (≥60 years) at diagnosis might be poor prognostic factors for survival, but not prior radiation history.
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Purpose@#This study aimed to report the projected cancer incidence and mortality for the year 2023 to estimate Korea’s current cancer burden. @*Materials and Methods@#Cancer incidence data from 1999 to 2020 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, and cancer mortality data from 1993 to 2021 were acquired from Statistics Korea. Cancer incidence and mortality were projected by fitting a linear regression model to observed age-specific cancer rates against their respective years and then by multiplying the projected age-specific rates by the anticipated age-specific population for 2023. A joinpoint regression model was used to determine the year in which the linear trend changed significantly; we only used the data of the latest trend. @*Results@#In total, 273,076 new cancer cases and 81,818 cancer deaths are expected to occur in Korea in 2023. The most common cancer site is expected to be the lung, followed by the thyroid, breast, colon and rectum, and stomach. These five cancers are expected to represent half of the overall burden of cancer in Korea. The most common type of cancer leading to death is expected to be lung cancer, followed by liver, colorectal, pancreatic, and gallbladder cancers. @*Conclusion@#The incidence rates for all types of cancer in Korea are estimated to gradually decrease. These up-to-date estimates of the cancer burden in Korea could be an important resource for planning and evaluating cancer-control programs.
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Purpose@#The current study provides national cancer statistics and their secular trends in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2020. @*Materials and Methods@#Incidence, survival, and prevalence rates of cancer were calculated using the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, from 1999 to 2020, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2021. Deaths from cancer were assessed using causes-of-death data obtained from Statistics Korea. @*Results@#The number of new cancer diagnoses in 2020 decreased by 9,218 cases (3.6%) compared to 2019. In 2020, newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer were reported as 247,952 (age-standardized rate [ASR], 262.2 per 100,000) and 82,204 (ASR, 69.9 per 100,000), respectively. The overall cancer incidence rates increased by 3.3% annually from 1999 to 2012, and decreased by 5.0% annually from 2012 to 2015, thereafter, followed by nonsignificant changes. Cancer mortality rates have been decreasing since 2002, with more rapid decline in recent years. The 5-year relative survival between 2016 and 2020 was 71.5%, which contributed to prevalent cases reaching over 2.2 million in 2020. @*Conclusion@#In 2020, the number of newly diagnosed cancer patients decreased due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, but the overall trend is on the rise. Cancer survival rates have improved over the past decades. As the number of cancer survivors increases, a comprehensive cancer control strategy should be implemented in line with the changing aspects of cancer statistics. The long-term impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on cancer statistics needs to be investigated in the future.
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This article provides an annual update of Korean breast cancer statistics, including the incidence, tumor stage, type of surgical treatment, and mortality. The data was collected from the Korean Breast Cancer Society registry system and Korean Central Cancer Registry.In 2019, 29,729 women were newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer has continued to increase in incidence since 2002 and been the most common cancer in Korean women since 2019. Of the newly diagnosed cases in 2019, 24,820 (83.5%) were of invasive carcinomas, and 4,909 (16.5%) were of carcinoma in situ. The median age of women with breast cancer was 52.8 years, and breast cancer was most commonly diagnosed in the age group of 40–49 years. The number of patients who have undergone breast conserving surgery has continued to increase since 2016, with 68.6% of patients undergoing breast conserving surgery in 2019. The incidence of early-stage breast cancer continues to increase, with stage 0 or I breast cancer accounting for 61.6% of cases. The most common subtype of breast cancer is the hormone receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative subtype (63.1%). The 5-year relative survival rate of patients with breast cancer from 2015 to 2019 was 93.6%, with an increase of 14.3% compared to that from 1993 to 1995. This report improves our understanding of breast cancer characteristics in South Korea.
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Purpose@#This study aimed to provide the clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and 5-year relative survival rates of lung cancer diagnosed in 2015. @*Materials and Methods@#The demographic risk factors of lung cancer were calculated using the KALC-R (Korean Association of Lung Cancer Registry) cohort in 2015, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2020. The 5-year relative survival rates were estimated using Ederer II methods, and the general population data used the death rate adjusted for sex and age published by the Korea Statistical Information Service from 2015 to 2020. @*Results@#We enrolled 2,657 patients with lung cancer who were diagnosed in South Korea in 2015. Of all patients, 2,098 (79.0%) were diagnosed with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 345 (13.0%) were diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), respectively. Old age, poor performance status, and advanced clinical stage were independent risk factors for both NSCLC and SCLC. In addition, the 5-year relative survival rate declined with advanced stage in both NSCLC (82%, 59%, 16%, 10% as the stage progressed) and SCLC (16%, 4% as the stage progressed). In patients with stage IV adenocarcinoma, the 5-year relative survival rate was higher in the presence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation (19% vs. 11%) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) translocation (38% vs. 11%). @*Conclusion@#In this Korean nationwide survey, the 5-year relative survival rates of NSCLC were 82% at stage I, 59% at stage II, 16% at stage III, and 10% at stage IV, and the 5-year relative survival rates of SCLC were 16% in cases with limited disease, and 4% in cases with extensive disease.
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Purpose@#This study aimed to report the projected cancer incidence and mortality for the year 2022 to estimate Korea’s current cancer burden. @*Materials and Methods@#Cancer incidence data from 1999 to 2019 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, and cancer mortality data from 1993 to 2020 were acquired from Statistics Korea. Cancer incidence and mortality were projected by fitting a linear regression model to observed age-specific cancer rates against their respective years and then by multiplying the projected age-specific rates by the anticipated age-specific population for 2022. A joinpoint regression model was used to determine the year in which the linear trend changed significantly; we only used the data of the latest trend. @*Results@#In total, 274,488 new cancer cases and 81,277 cancer deaths are expected to occur in Korea in 2022. The most common cancer site is expected to be the thyroid, followed by the lung, colon and rectum, breast, and stomach. These five cancers are expected to represent half of the overall burden of cancer in Korea. The most common type of cancer leading to death is expected to be lung cancer, followed by liver, colorectal, pancreatic, and gallbladder cancers. @*Conclusion@#The incidence rates for all types of cancer in Korea are estimated to gradually decrease. These up-to-date estimates of the cancer burden in Korea could be an important resource for planning and evaluating cancer-control programs.
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Background/Aims@#Primary liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide. However, the causes of death have not been studied in detail in patients with liver cancer. @*Methods@#The causes of death and cause-specific mortality risks in patients with primary liver cancer, diagnosed during 2000–2016, were investigated using the nationwide population-based cancer registry data in South Korea (n=231,388). The cumulative incidence function and Fine-Gray models were used to estimate the cause-specific mortality under the competing risks. Risks of non-cancer deaths relative to the general population were compared by standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). @*Results@#Among 179,921 total deaths, 92.4%, 1.7%, and 6.0% of patients died of primary liver cancer, cancer from other sites, and non-cancer illnesses, respectively. Proportionate mortality from liver cancer remained high. The 5-year competing risks probability of death from liver cancer varied by tumor stage, from 42% to 94%, and it remained high 10 years after the diagnosis (61–95%). Competing mortality from other causes has continuously increased. The most common non-cancer causes of death were underlying liver diseases (SMR, 15.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 15.1–16.1) and viral hepatitis (SMR, 46.5; 95% CI, 43.9–49.2), which demonstrated higher mortality risks compared to the Korean general population. Higher mortality risks of suicide (SMR, 2.6; 95% CI, 2.4–2.8) was also noted. @*Conclusions@#Patients with liver cancer are most likely to die from liver cancer and related liver disease, even 10 years after the diagnosis, highlighting a need for specialized long-term follow-up care.
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Background@#This study aimed to analyze the current trends and predict the epidemiologic features of hepatobiliary and pancreatic (HBP) cancers according to the Korea Central Cancer Registry to provide insights into health policy. @*Methods@#Incidence data from 1999 to 2017 and mortality data from 2002 to 2018 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database and Statistics Korea, respectively. The future incidence rate from 2018 to 2040 and mortality rate from 2019 to 2040 of each HBP cancer were predicted using an age-period-cohort model. All analyses, including incidence and mortality, were stratified by sex. @*Results@#From 1999 to 2017, the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of HBP cancers per 100,000 population had changed (liver, 25.8 to 13.5; gallbladder [GB], 2.9 to 2.6;bile ducts, 5.1 to 5.9; ampulla of Vater [AoV], 0.9 to 0.9; and pancreatic, 5.6 to 7.3). The age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) per 100,000 population from 2002 to 2018 of each cancer had declined, excluding pancreatic cancer (5.5 to 5.6). The predicted ASIR of pancreatic cancer per 100,000 population from 2018 to 2040 increased (7.5 to 8.2), but that of other cancers decreased. Furthermore, the predicted ASMR per 100,000 population from 2019 to 2040 decreased in all types of cancers: liver (6.5 to 3.2), GB (1.4 to 0.9), bile ducts (4.3 to 2.9), AoV (0.3 to 0.2), and pancreas (5.4 to 4.7). However, in terms of sex, the predicted ASMR of pancreatic cancer per 100,000 population in females increased (3.8 to 4.9). @*Conclusion@#The annual incidence and mortality cases of HBP cancers are generally predicted to increase. Especially, pancreatic cancer has an increasing incidence and will be the leading cause of cancer-related death among HBP cancers.
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Purpose@#The current study provides national cancer statistics and their secular trends in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2019. @*Materials and Methods@#Incidence, survival, and prevalence rates of cancer were calculated using the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, from 1999 to 2019, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2020. Deaths from cancer were assessed using causes-of-death data obtained from Statistics Korea. @*Results@#In 2019, newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer were reported as 254,718 (ASR, 275.4 per 100,000) and 81,203 (ASR, 72.2 per 100,000), respectively. For the first time, lung cancer (n=29,960) became the most frequent cancer in Korea, excluding thyroid cancer. The overall cancer incidence rates increased by 3.3% annually from 1999 to 2012, and decreased by 5.3% annually from 2012 to 2015, thereafter, followed by nonsignificant changes. The incidence of thyroid cancer increased again from 2016 (annual percentage change, 6.2%). Cancer mortality rates have been decreasing since 2002, with more rapid decline in recent years (annual decrease of 2.7% from 2002 to 2013; 3.3% from 2013 to 2019). The 5-year relative survival between 2015 and 2019 was 70.7%, which contributed to prevalent cases reaching over 2 million in 2019. @*Conclusion@#Cancer survival rates have improved over the past decades, but the number of newly diagnosed cancers is still increasing, with some cancers showing only marginal improvement in survival outcomes. As the number of cancer survivors increases, a comprehensive cancer control strategy should be implemented in line with the changing aspects of cancer statistics.
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Objective@#Conditional relative survival (CRS) considers changes in prognosis over time and may offer more useful estimates for survivors. We aimed to investigate CRS among patients with cervical cancer stratified by various factors that influence survival probability. @*Methods@#This nationwide retrospective study used data from the Korean Central Cancer Registry. We included 78,606 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer as their first cancer between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 2015, and who were followed until December 31, 2016. CRS and the conditional probabilities of death for the following 1 year were stratified by age at diagnosis, histology, cancer stage, treatment, year of diagnosis, and social deprivation index. @*Results@#The 5-year relative survival rate at the time of diagnosis was 80.6% for all cases. The probability of surviving an additional 5 years conditioned on having already survived 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years after diagnosis was 85.7%, 90.6%, 93.5%, 95.3%, and 94.3%, respectively.Patients with poorer initial survival estimates (older, advanced stage, non-squamous cell histology) generally showed the largest increases in CRS over time. Patients aged ≥70 years had the highest probability of death in the first year after diagnosis (24.5%), but the conditional probability of death in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th years declined abruptly to 13.1%, 7.5%, 5.4%, and 3.9%, respectively. @*Conclusions@#The CRS rates for patients with cervical cancer improved over time, particularly among patients with poorer initial prognoses. Our estimates enable patients to make better informed decisions regarding follow-up care and their personal life.
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Purpose@#This study aimed to report the projected cancer incidence and mortality for the year 2021 to estimate Korea’s current cancer burden. @*Materials and Methods@#Cancer incidence data from 1999 to 2018 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, and cancer mortality data from 1993 to 2019 were acquired from Statistics Korea. Cancer incidence and mortality were projected by fitting a linear regression model to observed age-specific cancer rates against their respective years and then by multiplying the projected age-specific rates by the anticipated age-specific population for 2021. A joinpoint regression model was used to determine the year in which the linear trend changed significantly; we only used the data of the latest trend. @*Results@#In total, 259,999 new cancer cases and 81,567 cancer deaths are expected to occur in Korea in 2021. The most common cancer site is expected to be the lung, followed by the thyroid, colon and rectum, breast, and stomach. These five cancers are expected to represent half of the overall burden of cancer in Korea. The most common type of cancer leading to death is expected to be lung cancer, followed by liver, colorectal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers. @*Conclusion@#The incidence rates for all types of cancer in Korea are estimated to gradually decrease. These up-to-date estimates of the cancer burden in Korea could be an important resource for planning and evaluating cancer-control programs.
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Purpose@#This study aimed to report the projected cancer incidence and mortality for the year 2021 to estimate Korea’s current cancer burden. @*Materials and Methods@#Cancer incidence data from 1999 to 2018 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, and cancer mortality data from 1993 to 2019 were acquired from Statistics Korea. Cancer incidence and mortality were projected by fitting a linear regression model to observed age-specific cancer rates against their respective years and then by multiplying the projected age-specific rates by the anticipated age-specific population for 2021. A joinpoint regression model was used to determine the year in which the linear trend changed significantly; we only used the data of the latest trend. @*Results@#In total, 259,999 new cancer cases and 81,567 cancer deaths are expected to occur in Korea in 2021. The most common cancer site is expected to be the lung, followed by the thyroid, colon and rectum, breast, and stomach. These five cancers are expected to represent half of the overall burden of cancer in Korea. The most common type of cancer leading to death is expected to be lung cancer, followed by liver, colorectal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers. @*Conclusion@#The incidence rates for all types of cancer in Korea are estimated to gradually decrease. These up-to-date estimates of the cancer burden in Korea could be an important resource for planning and evaluating cancer-control programs.
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Purpose@#The current study provides national cancer statistics and their secular trends in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2018. @*Materials and Methods@#Incidence, survival, and prevalence rates of cancer were calculated using the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, from 1999 to 2018, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2019. Deaths from cancer were assessed using causes-of-death data obtained from Statistics Korea. Crude and age-standardized rates (ASRs) for incidence, mortality, prevalence, and 5-year relative survival rates were calculated, and temporal trends for incidence and mortality rates were evaluated, with annual percentage changes. @*Results@#In 2018, newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer were reported as 243,837 (ASR, 270.4 per 100,000) and 79,153 (ASR, 73.3 per 100,000), respectively. The overall cancer incidence rates increased by 3.3% annually from 1999 to 2012, and decreased by 5.4% annually from 2012 to 2015, thereafter, followed by nonsignificant changes. Cancer mortality rates have been decreasing since 2002, with more rapid decline in recent years (annual decrease of 2.7% from 2007 to 2014; 3.7% from 2014 to 2018). The 5-year relative survival between 2014 and 2018 was 70.3%, which contributed to prevalent cases reaching over 2 million by the end of 2018. @*Conclusion@#Cancer statistics have improved significantly during the past two decades. However, there remain important challenges to be solved, such as controlling cancers with low survival rates. Cancer statistics can be used to discover blind spots in cancer control, and as evidence for developing and implementing future cancer control strategies.
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Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiologic characteristics and survival of patients with primary brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors in Korea and to compare our findings with those from the United States. @*Materials and Methods@#We collected data on primary brain and CNS tumors diagnosed between 2007 and 2016 from the Korea Central Cancer Registry. The age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) and 5-year relative survival rates (RSRs) were evaluated. We applied the classification and definitions of the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States to our analysis for direct comparison with United States data. @*Results@#A total of 115,050 primary brain and CNS tumors were identified, and the ASR of all tumors was 22.01 per 100,000 individuals, which was lower than the 23.41 in the United States. However, the ASR of malignant tumors was significantly lower herein (4.27) than in the United States (7.08). Meningeal tumors were the most common histologic group among all tumors (ASR, 8.32). The 5-year RSR of all primary brain and other CNS tumors was 86.4%, and that of all malignant tumors was 44.1%, which was higher than the 35.8% observed in the United States. Among malignant tumors, glioblastomas had the lowest 5-year RSR (12.1%). @*Conclusion@#In Korea, malignant brain and other CNS tumors have a lower incidence and better survival outcome.
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Purpose@#The current study provides national cancer statistics and their secular trends in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2018. @*Materials and Methods@#Incidence, survival, and prevalence rates of cancer were calculated using the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, from 1999 to 2018, with survival follow-up until December 31, 2019. Deaths from cancer were assessed using causes-of-death data obtained from Statistics Korea. Crude and age-standardized rates (ASRs) for incidence, mortality, prevalence, and 5-year relative survival rates were calculated, and temporal trends for incidence and mortality rates were evaluated, with annual percentage changes. @*Results@#In 2018, newly diagnosed cancer cases and deaths from cancer were reported as 243,837 (ASR, 270.4 per 100,000) and 79,153 (ASR, 73.3 per 100,000), respectively. The overall cancer incidence rates increased by 3.3% annually from 1999 to 2012, and decreased by 5.4% annually from 2012 to 2015, thereafter, followed by nonsignificant changes. Cancer mortality rates have been decreasing since 2002, with more rapid decline in recent years (annual decrease of 2.7% from 2007 to 2014; 3.7% from 2014 to 2018). The 5-year relative survival between 2014 and 2018 was 70.3%, which contributed to prevalent cases reaching over 2 million by the end of 2018. @*Conclusion@#Cancer statistics have improved significantly during the past two decades. However, there remain important challenges to be solved, such as controlling cancers with low survival rates. Cancer statistics can be used to discover blind spots in cancer control, and as evidence for developing and implementing future cancer control strategies.