Trends in the overall survival of cancer patients diagnosed 1964–2003 in the Nordic countries followed up to the end of 2006: The importance of case-mix

Figures & data

Table I. Weights (%) used in case-mix adjustment of cancer sites for 5-year relative survival for the summary groups All cancer sites but non-melanoma skin (W ₁) and All cancer sites but non-melanoma skin, prostate and breas t cancer(W₂) by sex. Nordic cancer survival study 1964–2003.

	Men		Women
Cancer sites	W 1	W 2	W 1	W 2
Oesophagus	1.4	2.0	–	–
Stomach	3.0	4.3	2.0	2.9
Colon	7.3	10.6	8.3	11.9
Rectum	5.1	7.4	4.2	6.0
Liver	–	1.6	–	–
Pancreas	2.5	3.5	2.8	4.0
Lung	11.3	16.1	7.3	10.6
Breast			30.3	–
Cervix			2.5	3.5
Corpus			5.8	8.4
Ovary			4.3	6.2
Prostate	30.4	–
Testis	1.7	2.3
Kidney	2.5	3.6	1.8	2.6
Bladder	7.6	11.2	2.8	4.0
Melanoma	3.9	5.6	4.4	6.2
Brain	2.9	4.1	3.7	5.2
Thyroid	–	–	1.3	1.9
Non–Hodgkin lymphoma	3.5	5.0	3.2	4.5
Multiple myeloma	1.3	1.9	–	1.8
Other leukemia	1.7	2.5	–	–
Other cancer	14.0	18.4	15.5	20.4

Figure 1. Trends in age-standardised (World) incidence and mortality rates per 100 000 and age-standardised (ICSS) 5-year relative survival for all cancer sites but non-melanoma skin (case-mix adjusted) by sex and country. Nordic cancer survival study 1964–2003.

Figure 2. Trends in age-standardised (World) incidence and mortality rates per 100 000 and age-standardised (ICSS) 5-year relative survival for all cancer sites but non-melanoma skin, prostate, and breast cancer (case-mix adjusted) by sex and country. Nordic cancer survival study 1964–2003.

Table II. Trends in survival for all cancer sites but non-melanoma skin (case-mix adjusted) by sex and country. Number of tumours (N) included and the 5-year age-standardised (ICSS) relative survival in percent with 95% confidence intervals (RS (CI)). Nordic cancer survival study 1964–2003.

	Denmark		Finland		Iceland		Norway		Sweden
	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)
Men
1964–1968	33 821	27 (26–28)	25 941	28 (27–30)	885	30 (25–36)	23 636	31 (29–32)	59 561	33 (32–34)
1969–1973	40 489	29 (28–30)	28 844	32 (31–33)	1 050	32 (28–36)	27 360	36 (34–37)	69 089	35 (34–36)
1974–1978	46 267	31 (30–32)	31 449	38 (37–39)	1 262	41 (37–44)	33 004	38 (37–39)	70 536	40 (39–40)
1979–1983	50 317	34 (33–36)	34 962	41 (40–43)	1 636	41 (38–44)	37 081	40 (39–41)	75 593	43 (42–43)
1984–1988	52 765	34 (34–35)	38 072	43 (42–44)	1 888	45 (42–48)	40 822	41 (40–42)	84 377	45 (44–45)
1989–1993	54 531	36 (35–37)	40 609	46 (45–47)	2 123	51 (47–55)	44 998	44 (44–45)	90 094	48 (47–48)
1994–1998	57 239	38 (38–39)	48 966	51 (50–52)	2 557	51 (48–54)	49 899	50 (49–51)	94 799	51 (51–52)
1999–2003	62 985	43 (42–44)	55 042	56 (56–57)	2 796	55 (53–58)	54 144	53 (53–54)	107 142	55 (55–55)
Women
1964–1968	36 988	37 (36–37)	24 331	34 (33–35)	1 098	39 (35–43)	24 078	39 (38–40)	61 974	42 (42–43)
1969–1973	41 367	39 (38–39)	26 567	40 (39–41)	1 205	43 (39–47)	26 916	42 (41–43)	69 179	44 (44–45)
1974–1978	47 170	41 (41–42)	30 370	45 (44–46)	1 379	50 (47–53)	31 537	46 (45–47)	70 544	48 (48–49)
1979–1983	51 433	45 (44–45)	35 424	49 (48–50)	1 610	52 (49–55)	35 289	50 (49–50)	75 929	51 (51–52)
1984–1988	54 691	47 (46–47)	40 787	52 (51–53)	1 886	54 (51–57)	38 431	51 (50–52)	82 242	54 (53–54)
1989–1993	59 097	49 (49–50)	45 485	54 (53–54)	2 015	57 (54–59)	41 714	54 (54–55)	88 895	56 (56–56)
1994–1998	63 087	52 (52–53)	50 869	58 (57–58)	2 407	57 (54–59)	46 315	57 (57–58)	93 489	59 (59–59)
1999–2003	68 048	54 (54–55)	54 986	61 (61–62)	2 690	60 (58–62)	51 162	60 (59–60)	99 082	61 (60–61)

Table III. Trends in survival for all cancer sites but non-melanoma skin, prostate, and breast cancer (case-mix adjusted) by sex and country. Number of tumours (N) included and the 5-year age-standardised (ICSS) relative survival in percent with 95% confidence intervals (RS (CI)). Nordic cancer survival study 1964–2003.

	Denmark		Finland		Iceland		Norway		Sweden
	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)
Men
1964–1968	30 190	26 (25–26)	23 928	22 (21–23)	780	27 (23–32)	19 089	24 (23–25)	47 260	28 (27–29)
1969–1973	36 235	26 (26–27)	25 863	27 (26–28)	906	29 (26–33)	22 149	29 (28–30)	54 123	30 (29–30)
1974–1978	40 955	29 (29–30)	27 608	31 (30–32)	1 046	35 (32–39)	26 295	32 (31–33)	54 467	33 (32–33)
1979–1983	43 938	31 (31–32)	29 934	36 (35–37)	1 309	37 (34–40)	29 412	34 (34–35)	57 385	37 (36–38)
1984–1988	45 941	33 (32–33)	32 089	38 (37–39)	1 468	39 (36–42)	32 196	36 (35–37)	62 611	38 (38–39)
1989–1993	47 213	34 (34–35)	32 805	40 (39–40)	1 599	44 (41–47)	34 627	38 (38–39)	64 981	41 (40–41)
1994–1998	49 623	37 (36–37)	35 802	41 (41–42)	1 848	42 (39–45)	37 082	41 (40–41)	65 683	42 (42–43)
1999–2003	52 514	39 (38–39)	36 751	44 (43–45)	1 928	46 (44–48)	39 241	43 (42–43)	67 850	44 (43–44)
Women
1964–1968	28 478	29 (29–30)	19 860	26 (26–27)	855	27 (24–31)	18 357	29 (28–30)	47 203	34 (33–34)
1969–1973	31 779	31 (30–31)	20 936	32 (31–33)	958	33 (30–36)	20 631	33 (32–34)	52 406	35 (35–36)
1974–1978	35 619	32 (32–33)	23 432	35 (34–36)	1 041	40 (36–44)	24 181	37 (36–38)	51 841	38 (38–39)
1979–1983	39 347	36 (35–36)	27 216	39 (39–40)	1 219	42 (39–46)	27 264	40 (39–40)	55 619	41 (41–42)
1984–1988	41 214	37 (37–38)	30 277	42 (41–43)	1 376	44 (41–47)	29 542	41 (41–42)	60 406	44 (43–44)
1989–1993	44 021	40 (39–40)	32 851	43 (43–44)	1 498	47 (44–50)	32 168	45 (44–46)	63 890	45 (45–46)
1994–1998	46 400	42 (42–43)	36 006	47 (46–48)	1 782	45 (43–48)	35 060	47 (46–48)	66 379	48 (48–49)
1999–2003	49 039	44 (43–44)	37 698	50 (50–51)	1 924	48 (46–50)	38 224	49 (49–50)	68 876	50 (49–50)

Table IV. Trends in 5-year age-specific relative survival in percent after cancer of all sites but non-melanoma skin (case-mix adjusted) by sex and country. Nordic cancer survival study 1964–2003.

Age	Men						Women
	0–49	50–59	60–69	70–79	80–89	90+	0–49	50–59	60–69	70–79	80–89	90+
Denmark
1964–1968	31	32	31	25	16	13	49	42	38	34	24	17
1969–1973	41	35	31	26	17	14	52	45	41	33	27	14
1974–1978	35	37	34	29	22	9	55	48	44	36	29	15
1979–1983	48	40	36	31	21	11	58	51	47	40	31	18
1984–1988	39	39	36	32	26	21	61	53	49	43	32	28
1989–1993	42	37	38	34	27	25	63	55	51	45	35	19
1994–1998	47	41	41	35	29	15	65	59	54	48	38	28
1999–2003	49	49	47	40	32	20	69	62	56	49	41	29
Finland
1964–1968	41	35	31	24	12	0	51	43	36	29	16	40
1969–1973	36	37	35	30	21	16	56	47	42	34	26	67
1974–1978	46	44	40	35	27	30	61	51	47	40	32	25
1979–1983	47	46	45	40	28	18	65	55	50	45	34	36
1984–1988	45	47	46	42	34	25	69	59	54	46	37	28
1989–1993	49	48	48	43	39	25	70	63	56	48	38	32
1994–1998	55	58	54	48	40	35	73	68	60	51	41	27
1999–2003	64	62	59	53	46	38	76	70	64	55	46	38
Iceland
1964–1968	17	38	36	21	38	37	50	47	40	35	24	0
1969–1973	25	30	38	34	23	0	60	52	41	34	39	0
1974–1978	30	50	51	37	28	40	61	59	49	45	43	13
1979–1983	39	42	49	39	31	4	67	60	53	45	41	13
1984–1988	35	54	54	36	43	12	67	62	55	46	47	44
1989–1993	59	55	48	51	45	45	72	59	60	56	38	43
1994–1998	48	63	52	50	40	33	72	65	57	52	43	20
1999–2003	61	65	58	50	46	31	76	67	62	54	45	38
Norway
1964–1968	39	37	33	27	21	6	53	45	41	34	25	22
1969–1973	43	41	38	31	27	9	56	48	45	37	29	22
1974–1978	47	44	41	34	27	27	61	51	48	41	34	20
1979–1983	44	46	42	37	32	25	64	56	50	46	37	37
1984–1988	46	46	45	39	31	28	64	56	54	47	38	30
1989–1993	49	50	48	42	33	23	68	60	55	51	41	31
1994–1998	61	57	53	46	37	24	70	64	60	53	43	36
1999–2003	64	62	57	49	39	24	73	67	63	54	46	40
Sweden
1964–1968	42	39	36	29	21	10	58	49	44	37	29	21
1969–1973	48	43	38	31	21	9	60	52	46	38	29	14
1974–1978	48	46	42	36	27	26	62	54	50	44	36	31
1979–1983	45	47	45	40	35	24	65	57	53	47	39	26
1984–1988	49	49	47	43	36	30	67	59	56	50	41	36
1989–1993	53	51	49	46	41	29	68	62	58	52	43	34
1994–1998	59	57	54	49	40	39	71	65	61	55	45	41
1999–2003	65	61	57	51	44	42	73	67	63	56	48	39

Table V. Trends in 5-year age-specific relative survival in percent after cancer of all sites but non-melanoma skin, prostate, and breast cancer (case-mix adjusted) by sex and country. Nordic cancer survival study 1964–2003.

	Men						Women
Age	0–49	50–59	60–69	70–79	80–89	90+	0–49	50–59	60–69	70–79	80–89	90+
Denmark
1964–1968	36	33	27	22	15	18	42	37	31	25	16	15
1969–1973	38	33	27	22	15	7	45	39	32	25	18	10
1974–1978	41	34	31	25	20	9	48	40	34	26	19	5
1979–1983	44	38	33	27	20	10	51	43	38	30	22	12
1984–1988	46	39	33	28	23	17	54	44	40	32	23	17
1989–1993	48	39	36	31	23	22	56	47	41	34	26	19
1994–1998	51	43	37	32	25	13	59	50	43	37	28	23
1999–2003	54	44	40	34	26	16	62	52	45	37	29	20
Finland
1964–1968	34	29	25	18	9	0	45	38	28	20	8	5
1969–1973	39	36	28	21	15	10	50	40	33	25	17	27
1974–1978	44	39	32	27	18	34	55	44	37	28	19	7
1979–1983	49	44	38	33	21	8	59	47	41	34	23	17
1984–1988	53	45	39	33	27	29	64	50	44	35	25	20
1989–1993	54	46	41	34	30	20	65	52	45	37	25	16
1994–1998	57	48	43	36	30	25	67	58	49	40	29	19
1999–2003	59	50	46	38	33	25	70	60	53	43	33	24
Iceland
1964–1968	25	38	33	20	19	49	40	36	29	22	14	0
1969–1973	36	37	33	25	18	0	56	46	34	22	21	0
1974–1978	42	43	40	29	21	0	54	50	39	33	33	17
1979–1983	55	40	40	32	24	6	60	52	46	33	29	0
1984–1988	50	52	43	25	36	26	62	52	45	36	31	37
1989–1993	62	48	42	40	32	41	69	47	51	45	26	22
1994–1998	57	55	41	37	27	16	64	55	45	39	31	19
1999–2003	65	56	47	37	35	21	69	56	51	41	29	27
Norway
1964–1968	33	30	24	20	18	5	45	38	31	24	15	7
1969–1973	39	34	30	23	23	9	49	41	36	26	19	12
1974–1978	48	40	34	26	21	16	54	43	39	31	23	21
1979–1983	50	42	35	28	24	18	57	48	41	34	26	20
1984–1988	50	43	38	31	23	24	58	50	44	35	26	24
1989–1993	52	45	41	33	25	18	63	53	46	40	29	20
1994–1998	55	48	42	35	28	21	64	55	49	42	31	26
1999–2003	58	51	44	37	30	20	67	57	52	43	34	30
Sweden
1964–1968	40	36	30	23	16	12	51	43	35	26	20	11
1969–1973	44	38	31	25	17	6	53	45	37	28	20	11
1974–1978	45	40	35	27	21	26	55	47	40	32	24	19
1979–1983	50	41	38	33	28	15	59	48	43	36	26	18
1984–1988	52	44	39	34	27	21	62	51	45	38	29	21
1989–1993	54	46	41	37	32	22	62	53	46	41	31	24
1994–1998	57	48	43	38	31	28	65	55	49	43	34	30
1999–2003	59	50	44	39	34	28	67	57	51	44	37	28

Figure 3. Trends in age-standardised (ICSS) excess death rates per 100 person years for all cancer sites but non-melanoma skin (case-mix adjusted) by sex, country, and time since diagnosis in Nordic cancer survival study 1964–2003.

Figure 4. Trends in age-standardised (ICSS) excess death rates per 100 person years for all cancer sites but non-melanoma skin, prostate, and breast cancer (case-mix adjusted) by sex, country, and time since diagnosis in Nordic cancer survival study 1964–2003.

Table VI. Number of tumours (N) and 5-year age-standardised (ICSS) relative survival in percent with 95% confidence intervals (RS (CI)) with and without case-mix for the summary group all cancer sites but non-melanoma skin and for the summary group when also excluding prostate cancer among men and breast cancer among women. Patients diagnosed 1999–2003 in the Nordic countries by sex.

All cancer sites but non-melanoma skin		Denmark		Finland		Iceland		Norway		Sweden
		N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)	N	RS (CI)
Men
Prostate included	Case-mix adjusted
Yes	Yes	62 985	43 (42–44)	55 042	56 (56–57)	2 796	55 (53–58)	54 144	53 (53–54)	107 142	55 (55–55)
	No		42 (42–42)		56 (55–56)		57 (55–59)		54 (53–54)		59 (58–59)
No	Yes	52 514	39 (38–39)	36 751	44 (43–45)	1 928	46 (44–48)	39 241	43 (42–43)	67 850	44 (43–44)
	No		39 (38–39)		40 (40–41)		45 (43–47)		44 (43–44)		46 (46–46)
Women
Breast included	Case-mix adjusted
Yes	Yes	68 048	54 (54–55)	54 986	61 (61–62)	2 690	60 (58–62)	51 162	60 (59–60)	99 082	61 (60–61)
	No		52 (51–52)		61 (61–61)		57 (55–59)		58 (58–59)		61 (61–61)
No	Yes	49 039	44 (43–44)	37 698	50 (50–51)	1 924	48 (46–50)	38 224	49 (49–50)	68 876	50 (49–50)
	No		42 (42–43)		51 (51–52)		46 (44–48)		51 (50–51)		51 (51–52)