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. 2015 Apr;47(2):127-41.
doi: 10.4143/crt.2015.060. Epub 2015 Mar 3.

Cancer statistics in Korea: incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2012

Kyu-Won Jung  1 , Young-Joo Won  1 , Hyun-Joo Kong  1 , Chang-Mo Oh  1 , Hyunsoon Cho  1 , Duk Hyoung Lee  2 , Kang Hyun Lee  3
Affiliations

Cancer statistics in Korea: incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence in 2012

Kyu-Won Jung et al. Cancer Res Treat. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to report nationwide cancer statistics in Korea, including incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence, and their trends.

Materials and methods: Incidence data from 1993 to 2012 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database, and vital status was followed through December 31, 2013. Mortality data from 1983 to 2012 were obtained from Statistics Korea. Crude and age-standardized rates for incidence, mortality, and prevalence, and relative survival were calculated.

Results: A total of 224,177 cancer cases and 73,759 cancer deaths were reported in 2012, and there were 1,234,879 prevalent cases identified in Korea as of January 1, 2013. Over the past 14 years (1999-2012), overall incidence rates have increased by 3.3% per year. The incidence rates of liver and cervical cancers have decreased, while those of thyroid, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers have increased. Notably, incidence of thyroid cancer increased by 22.3% per year in both sexes and has been the most common cancer since 2009. The mortality for all cancers combined decreased by 2.7% per year from 2002 to 2012. Five-year relative survival rates of patients diagnosed in the last 5 years (2008-2012) have improved by 26.9% compared with those from 1993 to1995.

Conclusion: Overall cancer mortality rates have declined since 2002 in Korea, while incidence has increased and survival has improved.

Keywords: Incidence; Korea; Mortality; Neoplasms; Prevalence; Survival.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest relevant to this article was not reported.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Annual age-standardized cancer incidence and death rates by sex for all sites from 1983 to 2012 in Korea. Age standardization was based on the world standard population.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Trends in age-standardized incidences of selected cancers by sex from 1999 to 2012 in Korea. Age standardization was based on the world standard population. (A) Male. (B) Female.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Age-specific incidence rates of major cancers for 2012 in Korea. (A) Male. (B) Female.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Annual age-standardized cancer mortalities of selected cancers by sex from 1983 to 2012 in Korea. Age standardization was based on the world standard population. (A) Male. (B) Female.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Trends in relative survival by year of diagnosis from 1999 to 2012. (A) All sites for both sexes. (B) All sites except thyroid cancer for both sexes.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Prevalence of major cancer sites by time since diagnosis on January 1, 2013 in Korea.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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