title: Trends in stage-specific population-based survival of cancer patients in the Czech Republic in the period 2000-2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to assess trends in overall and in stage-specific 5-year relative survival rates of the Czech cancer patients between periods 2000-2004 and 2005-2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  All Czech cancer patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2008 were included in the analysis. Period analysis was employed to calculate 5-year relative survival for 21 cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvements in crude 5-year relative survival for 14 of 21 assessed types of cancer, including the most frequent diagnoses, such as, colorectal, prostate, breast, lung, kidney, pancreatic, and bladder cancer and melanoma, were identified. Moreover, in case of colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer, improvement in stage-specific 5-year relative survival was confirmed as statistically significant for all clinical stages. No diagnosis showed significant decrease in the 5-year relative survival. However, the 5-year relative survival remained poor in patients with metastatic cancers at diagnosis, particularly in case of liver, pancreatic, lung, and oesophageal cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cancer-specific outcomes in the Czech Republic are improving. Nevertheless, despite the overall significant improvement in 5-year relative survival of most of the cancer diagnoses, the high proportion of patients primarily diagnosed with metastatic cancer still represents a substantial challenge for prevention and early detection.
authors: Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors: Tomáš
authors: T
authors: Pavlík
authors: Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors: Ondřej
authors: O
authors: Májek
authors: Department of Oncology and 1st Faculty of Medicine, Thomayer Hospital and Charles University, Vídeňská 800, 140 59 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Tomáš
authors: T
authors: Büchler
authors: Department of Complex Oncology Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Žlutý kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors: Rostislav
authors: R
authors: Vyzula
authors: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital Hradec Králové, Sokolská 581, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
authors: Jiří
authors: J
authors: Petera
authors: Department of Surgery and 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Central Military Hospital and Charles University, U Vojenské nemocnice 1200, 169 02 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Miroslav
authors: M
authors: Ryska
authors: The Fingerland Department of Pathology, Charles University Medical Faculty and University Hospital Hradec Králové, Sokolská 581, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
authors: Aleš
authors: A
authors: Ryška
authors: Gynaecological Oncologic Centre and 1st Faculty of Medicine, General University Hospital and Charles University, Apolinářská 18, 128 51 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Cibula
authors: Department of Urology and 2nd Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Motol and Charles University, V Úvalu 84, 150 06 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Marko
authors: M
authors: Babjuk
authors: Department of Oncology and 1st Faculty of Medicine, Thomayer Hospital and Charles University, Vídeňská 800, 140 59 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Jitka
authors: J
authors: Abrahámová
authors: Department of Complex Oncology Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Žlutý kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors: Jiří
authors: J
authors: Vorlíček
authors: Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Mužík
authors: Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address: dusek@iba.muni.cz.
authors: Ladislav
authors: L
authors: Dušek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012042:Registries; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cancer; Population-based registry; Relative survival; Stage-specific analysis