Survival from cancer of the pancreas in England and Wales up to 2001
2008

Pancreatic Cancer Survival in England and Wales

Sample size: 62815 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Mitry E, Rachet B, Quinn M J, Cooper N, Coleman M P

Primary Institution: Cancer Research UK

Hypothesis

What are the survival trends for pancreatic cancer patients in England and Wales from 1986 to 2001?

Conclusion

Survival rates for pancreatic cancer patients have not improved significantly over the years, with very low 5-year survival rates.

Supporting Evidence

  • Pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3% of all cancers with around 6000 new cases annually.
  • The 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients is less than 4%.
  • Short-term survival has slightly increased for men, but long-term survival has not improved.
  • 1-year survival for men increased from 12% to 13.9% between 1986-1999.
  • Women saw a slight increase in 1-year survival from 10.9% to 12.1% during the same period.
  • Median survival remains less than 6 months for both sexes.
  • Survival trends show no evidence of improvement for patients diagnosed in 2000-2001.

Takeaway

Pancreatic cancer is really tough to survive, and not much has changed in how long people live after being diagnosed.

Methodology

Data analysis of pancreatic cancer patients registered in England and Wales from 1986 to 1999.

Potential Biases

Potential under-registration of cases and over-certification of deaths could affect the data.

Limitations

Exclusions of cases with zero recorded survival may bias survival estimates.

Participant Demographics

Patients registered with pancreatic cancer in England and Wales, with a focus on trends by sex and deprivation.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Confidence Interval

(11.8, 13.0)

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/sj.bjc.6604576

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