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. 2016 Jul;48(3):869-82.
doi: 10.4143/crt.2015.290. Epub 2016 Jan 21.

Incidence and Survival of Childhood Cancer in Korea

Hyeon Jin Park  1 , Eun-Kyeong Moon  2 , Ju Young Yoon  1 , Chang-Mo Oh  2 , Kyu-Won Jung  2 , Byung Kiu Park  1 , Hee Young Shin  3 , Young-Joo Won  2
Affiliations

Incidence and Survival of Childhood Cancer in Korea

Hyeon Jin Park et al. Cancer Res Treat. 2016 Jul.

Abstract

Purpose: An epidemiologic study of childhood cancer would provide useful information on cancer etiology and development of management guidelines.

Materials and methods: Data from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database were used to examine the incidence and survival of cancer in patients aged 0-14 years. Patients were grouped according to the International Classification of Childhood Cancer, 3rd edition. Age-specific and age-standardized incidences per million and estimated annual percentage change (APC) were calculated by sex and age. Five-year relative survival was calculated for four periods from 1993 to 2011.

Results: The study comprised 15,113 patients with malignant neoplasms. Age-standardized incidence rates for all cancers were 134.9 per million children in 1999-2011 and 144.0 and 124.9 per million for males and females, respectively (M/F ratio, 1.2; p < 0.05). The highest incidences were observed for 'leukemias, myeloproliferative diseases, and myelodysplastic diseases' (group I) (46.4), 'central nervous system neoplasms' (group III) (18.3), and 'lymphomas and reticuloendothelial neoplasms' (group II) (13.4). Age-standardized incidence increased from 117.9 in 1999 to 155.3 in 2011, with an APC of 2.4% (95% confidence interval, 2.1 to 2.7). There was a significant increase of APC in 'neuroblastoma and other peripheral nervous cell tumors' (group IV) (5.6%) and 'other malignant epithelial neoplasms and malignant melanomas' (group XI) (5.6%). The 5-year relative survival rate for all childhood cancers improved significantly from 56.2% (1993-1995) to 78.2% (2007-2011) (males, 56.7% to 77.7%; females, 55.5% to 78.8%).

Conclusion: This study provides reliable information on incidence and survival trends for childhood cancer in Korea.

Keywords: Child; Incidence; Korea; Neoplasms; Survival.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest relevant to this article was not reported.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Cancer incidence by diagnostic groups in children (0-14 years of age) in Korea, 1999-2011. MPD, myeloproliferative diseases; MDD, myelodysplastic diseases; CNS, central nervous system.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Annual percent change of cancer incidence by diagnostic groups in children (0-14 years of age) in Korea, 1999-2011. MPD, myeloproliferative diseases; MDD, myelodysplastic diseases; CNS, central nervous system. *p < 0.05.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Trends in relative survivalrate (RSR) of childhood cancerin Korea according to age and the time period, 1993-2011. (A) Both sexes. (B) Male. (C) Female.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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