Cancer Res Treat.  2021 Jan;53(1):32-44. 10.4143/crt.2020.644.

Cancer Incidence and Survival among Adolescents and Young Adults in Korea: An Update for 2016

• Park M
• Lim J
• Lee JA
• Park BK
• Jung KW
• Won YJ
• Park HJ

• KMID: 2510645
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2020.644

Abstract

Purpose
This study investigated the incidence and relative survival rates (RSRs) for cancers among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) aged 15-39 years between 1993 and 2016 in Korea
Materials and Methods
Data from the Korea Central Cancer Registry were used to calculate percent distributions, age-specific incidence rates, age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) per million, annual percent changes (APCs), average APCs, and RSRs for cancers diagnosed in AYAs.
Results
ASR of all cancers among AYAs was 654.5 per million. The largest diagnosed group of cancers was carcinomas (almost 80%). Crude incidence increased with age, from 170.4 per million for those aged 15-19 years to 1,639.8 per million for those aged 35-39 years. ASR increased from 414.8 per million to 820.4 per million, with an APC of 9.0%. The incidence of thyroid carcinoma showed the most rapid increment (APC, 14.0%), followed by non-Hodgkin lymphoma (APC, 13.4%). The 5-year RSR among AYAs significantly improved from 62.1% to 90.8%. Survival improvement in AYAs was higher than that in children but lower than that in older adults (APC, 2.1% vs. 1.9% vs. 3.1%). The most marked survival improvement was found for leukemia and lymphoma. Astrocytoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and carcinoma of the trachea, bronchus, and lung had a 5-year RSR of < 50%.
Conclusion
There was an improvement in cancer survivals in AYAs, comparable to that achieved in children. However, survivals in several cancer types do not appear to be improving. Further research focusing on the epidemiology and therapeutic strategies for cancers in AYAs is needed.

Keyword

Adolescent and young adult; Neoplasms; Incidence; Survival; Korea

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Sex distribution of cancer patients according to age (all years combined).

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  Fig. 2 Trends of age-standardized incidence rates from 1999 to 2016: all cancers combined (A) and cancers excluding thyroid carcinoma (B). APC, annual percent change.

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  Fig. 3 Trends of 5-year relative survival rate by period of diagnosis according to age group.

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  Fig. 4 Trends of 5-year survival rate according to diagnostic group in adolescents and young adults. CNS, central nervous system.

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  Fig. 5 Annual 5-year survival trends in patients aged < 15 years, 15–39 years, and ≥ 40 years for all cancers combined (A), patients aged < 15 years, 15–19 years, 20–29 years, 30–39 years, and ≥ 40 years for all cancers combined (B), patients aged < 15 years, 15–39 years, and ≥ 40 years in cancers excluding thyroid carcinoma (C), and patients aged < 15 years, 15–19 years, 20–29 years, 30–39 years, and ≥ 40 years in cancers excluding thyroid carcinoma (D). AAPC, average annual percent change; APC, annual percent change.

Reference

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