Digestive organs

Improved survival in cancer of the colon and rectum in Sweden

AIMS

To analyse time-trends in survival of patients with colon and rectal cancer in Sweden.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data including all patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum between 1960 and 1999, from the Swedish Cancer Registry, were analysed. The observed and relative survival rates were calculated according to the Hakulinen cohort method.

RESULTS

Five-year relative survival rate for cancer of the colon improved significantly from 39.6% in 1960--1964 to 57.2% in 1995--1999 and for rectal cancer from 36.1 to 57.6%, respectively. Corresponding observed survival improved from 31.2 to 44.3% for colon cancer and from 28.4 to 45.4% for rectal cancer. The largest improvement of survival were seen during the later part of the period observed.

CONCLUSION

The survival of patients with colon and rectal cancer in Sweden continues to improve, especially in rectal cancer, which now has a 5-year observed and relative survival rate comparable to that for colon cancer. The survival improvement in rectal cancer is probably a result of the implementation of total mesorectal excision and pre-operative radiotherapy.

Improved survival in both histologic types of oesophageal cancer in Sweden

The prognosis among patients diagnosed with oesophageal cancer is poor with an overall 5-year survival close to 5% in most countries. Improved diagnostic and surgical strategies might influence the survival, however. We investigated the observed and relative survival among all patients in Sweden diagnosed with oesophageal adenocarcinoma (n = 1,441) or squamous cell carcinoma (n = 6395) from 1961-1996 with follow-up to December 1997. Observed survival rates were calculated by the life-table method. Relative survival rates were computed as the ratio of the observed to the expected survival. The expected survival was inferred from the survival among the entire Swedish population in the same age, sex and calendar year strata. The 5-year observed survival rate for adenocarcinoma increased from a stable figure close to 4% during the entire period 1961-1989 to 10.5% during 1990-1996. Similarly, the 5-year relative survival rate was stable around 5% during 1961-1989, but during 1990-1996 the survival was increased to 13.7%. For squamous cell carcinoma, the survival improved slightly by each decade, starting with 3.8% 5-year observed survival in 1961-1969 to 7.0% during 1990-1996. Similarly, the 5-year relative survival improved from 5.0% to 8.9% during the study period. In conclusion, the survival rates for both oesophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma have increased significantly during the 1990s compared to those in the previous 3 decades (p < 0.001).

Decreased tumor cell proliferation as an indicator of the effect of preoperative radiotherapy of rectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Rectal cancer is a common malignancy, with significant local recurrence and death rates. Preoperative radiotherapy and refined surgical technique can improve local control rates and disease-free survival.

PURPOSE

To investigate the relationship between the tumor growth fraction in rectal cancer measured with Ki-67 and the outcome, with and without short-term preoperative radiotherapy.

METHOD

Ki-67 (MIB-1) immunohistochemistry was used to measure tumor cell proliferation in the preoperative biopsy and the surgical specimen.

MATERIALS

Specimens from 152 patients from the Southeast Swedish Health Care region were included in the Swedish rectal cancer trial 1987-1990.

RESULTS

Tumors with low proliferation treated with preoperative radiotherapy had a significantly reduced recurrence rate. The influence on death from rectal cancer was shown only in the univariate analysis. Preoperative radiotherapy of tumors with high proliferation did not significantly improve local control and disease-free survival. The interaction between Ki-67 status and the benefit of radiotherapy was significant for the reduced recurrence rate (p = 0.03), with a trend toward improved disease-free survival (p = 0.08). In the surgery-alone group, Ki-67 staining did not significantly correlate with local recurrence or survival rates.

CONCLUSION

Many Ki-67 stained tumor cells in the preoperative biopsy predicts an increased treatment failure rate after preoperative radiotherapy of rectal cancer.

Survival in stomach cancer is improving: results of a nationwide population-based Swedish study

OBJECTIVE

To monitor for secular trends in survival among patients with stomach cancer.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

The overall survival among patients with stomach cancer has remained stable at a low level for several decades.

METHODS

Relative survival was estimated for all 53,862 living patients reported from 1960 to 1989 to the Swedish Cancer Registry, which is nationwide and virtually complete, with compulsory reporting of new cases of stomach cancer. Follow-up was from cancer diagnosis until death, emigration, or December 31, 1991.

RESULTS

During the 1980s, statistically significant improvements were seen in the 2-month, 5-year, and 10-year relative survival of patients with stomach cancer, and in the subgroup with noncardiac cancer. The 5-year relative survival rate increased from 13.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.4 to 14.1) among patients diagnosed with noncardiac stomach cancer in 1970-1974 to 19.4% (95% CI 18.1-20.7) among those given this diagnosis in 1985-1986; the overall mean life expectancy increased from 2.2 to 3.3 years. In patients with cancer of the gastric cardia, the 5-year relative survival rate increased from 4.7% (95% CI 2.3-7.1) to 10.4% (95% CI 7.7-13.1), but the 10-year relative survival rate did not improve. The overall mean life expectancy in this group increased from 1.4 to 2.2 years. Age at diagnosis was strongly and inversely related to relative survival. Patients diagnosed at university hospitals had a moderate survival advantage.

CONCLUSION

The survival of patients with a stomach cancer diagnosis appears to be increasing. The reasons for this are probably multifactorial and are likely to include improvements in surgical and anesthesiologic management. However, the long-term prognosis of cancer of the gastric cardia remains dismal.