title: Survival of European patients diagnosed with lymphoid neoplasms in 2000-2002: results of the HAEMACARE project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The European Cancer Registry-based project on hematologic malignancies (HAEMACARE), set up to improve the availability and standardization of data on hematologic malignancies in Europe, used the European Cancer Registry-based project on survival and care of cancer patients (EUROCARE-4) database to produce a new grouping of hematologic neoplasms (defined by the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, Third Edition and the 2001/2008 World Health Organization classifications) for epidemiological and public health purposes. We analyzed survival for lymphoid neoplasms in Europe by disease group, comparing survival between different European regions by age and sex.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incident neoplasms recorded between 1995 to 2002 in 48 population-based cancer registries in 20 countries participating in EUROCARE-4 were analyzed. The period approach was used to estimate 5-year relative survival rates for patients diagnosed in 2000-2002, who did not have 5 years of follow up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year relative survival rate was 57% overall but varied markedly between the defined groups. Variation in survival within the groups was relatively limited across European regions and less than in previous years. Survival differences between men and women were small. The relative survival for patients with all lymphoid neoplasms decreased substantially after the age of 50. The proportion of 'not otherwise specified' diagnoses increased with advancing age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to analyze survival of patients with lymphoid neoplasms, divided into groups characterized by similar epidemiological and clinical characteristics, providing a benchmark for more detailed analyses. This Europe-wide study suggests that previously noted differences in survival between regions have tended to decrease. The survival of patients with all neoplasms decreased markedly with age, while the proportion of 'not otherwise specified' diagnoses increased with advancing age. Thus the quality of diagnostic work-up and care decreased with age, suggesting that older patients may not be receiving optimal treatment.
authors.affiliation: Girona Epidemiology Unit and Cancer Registry, Passatge Farinera Teixidor, núm 1 1r-2a, 17005 Girona, Spain. rmarcos@iconcologia.net
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marcos-Gragera
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Allemani
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tereanu
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capocaccia
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maynadie
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luminari
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferretti
authors.forename: Tom Børge
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Johannesen
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sankila
authors.forename: Marja-Liisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Karjalainen-Lindsberg
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simonetti
authors.forename: Maria Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Martos
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raphaël
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giraldo
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007938:Leukemia / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult