Cancer Res Treat.  2014 Apr;46(2):109-123.

Cancer Statistics in Korea: Incidence, Mortality, Survival, and Prevalence in 2011

• Jung KW
• Won YJ
• Kong HJ
• Oh CM
• Lee DH
• Lee JS

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to report nationwide cancer statistics in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence, and their trends.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Incidence data from 1993 to 2011 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, and vital status was followed through December 31, 2012. Mortality data from 1983 to 2011 were obtained from Statistics Korea. Crude and age-standardized rates for incidence, mortality, and prevalence, and relative survival were calculated.
RESULTS
A total of 218,017 cancer cases and 71,579 cancer deaths were reported to have occurred in 2011, and there were 1,097,253 prevalent cases identified in Korea as of January 1, 2012. Over the past 13 years (1999-2011), overall incidence rates have increased by 3.4% per year. The incidence rates of liver and cervical cancers have decreased, while those of thyroid, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers have increased. Notably, thyroid cancer increased by 23.3% per year in both sexes, and became the most common cancer since 2009. The mortality for all cancers combined decreased by 2.7% per year from 2002 to 2011. Five-year relative survival rates of patients diagnosed in the last 5 years (2007-2011) have improved by 25.1% compared with those from 1993 to 1995.
CONCLUSION
Overall cancer mortality rates have declined since 2002 in Korea, while incidence has increased rapidly and survival has improved.

Keyword

Incidence; Mortality; Survival; Prevalence; Neoplasms; Korea

MeSH Terms

Breast
Colorectal Neoplasms
Humans
Incidence*
Korea
Liver
Mortality*
Prevalence*
Prostate
Survival Rate
Thyroid Gland
Thyroid Neoplasms

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Annual age-standardized cancer incidence and death rates by sex for all sites from 1983 to 2011 in Korea. Age standardization was based on the world standard population.

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  Fig. 2 Trends in age-standardized incidences of selected cancers by sex from 1999 to 2011 in Korea. Age standardization was based on the world standard population. (A) Male. (B) Female.

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  Fig. 3 Age-specific incidence rates of major cancers for 2011 in Korea. (A) Male. (B) Female.

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  Fig. 4 Annual age-standardized cancer mortalities of selected cancers by sex from 1983 to 2011 in Korea. Age standardization was based on the world standard population. (A) Male. (B) Female.

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  Fig. 5 Trends in relative survival by year of diagnosis from 1999 to 2011. (A) All sites for both sexes. (B) All sites except thyroid cancer for both sexes.

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  Fig. 6 Prevalence of major cancer sites by time since diagnosis on January 1, 2012 in Korea.

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