title: Markedly increased incidence and improved survival of testicular cancer in the Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Worldwide marked changes have been observed in the incidence and survival of testicular cancer (TC) during the last decades. We conducted a study on trends in TC incidence, treatment, survival, and mortality in the Netherlands during the period 1970-2009 with specific focus on trends according to age, histology and stage of disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Eindhoven cancer registry, the Netherlands cancer registry and Statistics Netherlands was used. Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates and five-year relative survival were calculated. Treatment was categorized into five major groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TC incidence showed a substantial annual increase of 3.9% in the period 1989-2009. The incidence increased for all stages of both seminoma and non-seminoma TC. Stage distribution for the non-seminoma patients shifted towards more localized disease. Most patients received primary treatment according to the guidelines. Five-year relative survival improved (non-significantly) for most groups of stage and histology. TC mortality dropped sharply in the 1970s and 1980s and remained relatively stable thereafter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that incidence of TC has increased sharply in the Netherlands. Relative survival is high and improved in most disease stages. There is a growing demand for medical care of newly diagnosed TC patients and for the rapidly increasing number of prevalent TC patients.
authors.affiliation: Eindhoven Cancer Registry/Comprehensive Cancer Centre South , Eindhoven , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rob H A
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.forename: Henrike E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Karim-Kos
authors.forename: Jan Willem W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Coebergh
authors.forename: Mirian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brink
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horenblas
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.forename: Bart A L M
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kiemeney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D018239:Seminoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult