title: Comparing Survival of Oral Cancer Patients Before and After Launching of the Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As the treatment modalities for oral cancer have been relatively consistent during the last two decades, this study was conducted to compare survivals of oral cancer patients in Khon Kaen Province before and after the universal coverage scheme (UC) was launched in Thailand.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were retrieved from the populationbased cancer registry of Khon Kaen for oral cancer patients diagnosed during 19922001 (preUC), and 20042012 (postUC). To compare survival of the two cohorts, Kaplan Meier and log rank tests were employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1,196 patients, 65% were females and the median age was 65 years. The most common primary sites were lip (31.0%), tongue (29.9%), and buccal mucosa (14.6%). The proportion of early stage cancer increased from 20.4 % in preUC to 41.3% in postUC. The overall 5year survival rate was 36.5% (95% CI =32.640.9) for preUC and 32.4% (95% CI = 28.836.4) for postUC. The declining survival was mainly due to an increasing proportion of tongue cancer. However, no survival improvement was demonstrated on subgroup analysis of the tongue cancer patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After the universal coverage scheme had been launched, early diagnosis increased, but no significant gain in survival for oral cancer patients was achieved.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand Email : patvat@kku.ac.th.
authors: Waraporn
authors: W
authors: Sungwalee
authors: Patravoot
authors: P
authors: Vatanasapt
authors: Krittika
authors: K
authors: Suwanrungruang
authors: Supannee
authors: S
authors: Promthet
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D012042:Registries; D015996:Survival Rate; D013785:Thailand; D019472:Universal Health Insurance