title: Survival patterns in lung and pleural cancer in Europe 1999-2007: Results from the EUROCARE-5 study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Survival of patients diagnosed with lung and pleura cancer is a relevant health care indicator which is related to the availability and access to early diagnosis and treatment facilities. Aim of this paper is to update lung and pleural cancer survival patterns and time trends in Europe using the EUROCARE-5 database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on adults diagnosed with lung and pleural cancer from 87 European cancer registries in 28 countries were analysed. Relative survival (RS) in 2000-2007 by country/region, age and gender, and over time trends in 1999-2007 were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lung cancer survival is poor everywhere in Europe, with a RS of 39% and 13% at 1 and 5years since diagnosis, respectively. A geographical variability is present across European areas with a maximum regional difference of 12 and 5 percentage points in 1-year and 5-year RS respectively. Pleural cancer represents 4% of cases included in the present study with 7% 5-year RS overall in Europe. Most pleural cancers (83%) are microscopically verified mesotheliomas. Survival for both cancers decreases with advancing age at diagnosis for both cancers. Slight increasing trends are described for lung cancer. Survival over time is higher for squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinomas than for small and large cell carcinoma; and better among women than men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the generalised although slight increase, survival of lung and pleural cancer patients still remains poor in European countries. Priority should be given to prevention, with tobacco control policies across Europe for lung cancer and banning asbestos exposure for pleural cancer, and in early diagnosis and better treatment. The management of mesothelioma needs a multidisciplinary team and standardised health care strategies.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nazionale di Epidemiologia, Sorveglianza e Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: silvia.francisci@iss.it.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Francisci
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Predictive Medicine, Analytical Epidemiology and Health Impact Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Minicozzi
authors.affiliation: Centro Nazionale di Epidemiologia, Sorveglianza e Promozione della Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pierannunzio
authors.affiliation: Navarre Public Health Institute, Pamplona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health CIBERESP, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ardanaz
authors.affiliation: Bremen Cancer Registry, Leibniz-Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eberle
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Tom K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Grimsrud
authors.affiliation: Data Management Sector, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knijn
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pastorino
authors.affiliation: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Epidemiology, Murcia Regional Health Council, IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain; Departamento de Ciencias Sociosanitarias, Universidad de Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Salmerón
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Predictive Medicine, Evaluative epidemiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trama
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Predictive Medicine, Analytical Epidemiology and Health Impact Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sant
keywords: Europe; Lung cancer; Morphology; Pleural cancer; Population-based cancer registries; Survival trends