title: Cancer statistics in Korea: incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2008.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper overviews the nationwide cancer statistics including incidence, mortality, survival and prevalence, and their trends in Korea based on the year 2008 cancer incidence data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence data from 1993 to 2008 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, and the vital status was followed through December 31, 2009. Mortality data from 1983 to 2008 were obtained from the Korea National Statistics Office. Crude rates and age-standardized rates for incidence, mortality, prevalence and relative survival were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 178,816 cancer cases and 68,912 cancer deaths observed during year 2008 and 724,663 10-year cancer prevalent cases as of January 1, 2009 in Korea. The incidence rate for all cancer combined showed an annual increase of 3.1% from 1999 to 2008.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With significantly increasing cancer incidence, Korea faces a large cancer burden and efficient cancer control programs are essential.
authors.affiliation: The Korea Central Cancer Registry, Division of Cancer Registration and Surveillance, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyu-Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Sohee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun-Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Young-Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Joo Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun-Cheol
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jin-Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee