Cancer Statistics in Korea: Incidence, Mortality, Survival, and Prevalence in 2016

Abstract

Purpose: This study presents the 2016 nationwide cancer statistics in Korea, including cancer incidence, survival, prevalence, and mortality.

Materials and methods: Cancer incidence data from 1999 to 2016 were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database and followed until December 31, 2017. Mortality data from 1983 to 2016 were obtained from Statistics Korea. The prevalence was defined as the number of cancer patients alive on January 1, 2017 among all cancer patients diagnosed since 1999. Crude and age-standardized rates (ASRs) for incidence, mortality, and prevalence and 5-year relative survivals were also calculated.

Results: Overall, 229,180 and 78,194 Koreans were newly diagnosed and died from cancer in 2016, respectively. The ASRs for cancer incidence and mortality in 2016 were 269.0 and 79.8 per 100,000 individuals, respectively. The all-cancer incidence rate increased significantly by 3.6% annually from 1999 to 2011 and started to decrease after 2011 (2011-2016; annual percent change, -3.1%). However, overall cancer mortality has decreased 2.7% annually since 2002. The 5-year relative survival rate for patients diagnosed with cancer between 2012 and 2016 was 70.6%, an improvement from the 41.2% for patients diagnosed between 1993 and 1995.

Conclusion: The cancer prevalence in Korea has increased very fast as survival has improved remarkably. The high prevalence of cancer emphasizes the need for comprehensive cancer control efforts in Korea.

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

Fig. 1.

Annual age-standardized cancer incidence and death rates by sex for all sites from 1983 to 2016 in Korea. Age standardization was based on the Segi’s world standard population.

Fig. 2.

Trends in age-standardized incidences of selected cancers by sex from 1999 to 2016 in Korea. (A) Men. (B) Women. Age standardization was based on the Segi’s world standard population.

Fig. 3.

Annual age-standardized cancer mortalities of selected cancers by sex from 1983 to 2016 in Korea. (A) Men. (B) Women. Age standardization was based on the Segi’s world standard population.

Fig. 4.

Age-specific incidence rates of common cancers for 2016 in Korea. (A) Men. (B) Women.

Fig. 5.

Trends in relative survival by year of diagnosis from 1999 to 2016. (A) All sites for both sexes. (B) All sites except thyroid cancer for both sexes.

Fig. 6.

Prevalence of common cancer sites by time period after cancer diagnosis. Prevalent cases were defined as the number of cancer patients alive on January 1, 2017 among all cancer patients diagnosed between 1999 and 2016.