GLOBAL VARIATIONS IN CANCER SURVIVAL

Population-based cancer registries from Algeria, China, Costa Rica, Cu ba, India, the Philippines, and Thailand are collaborating with the In ternational Agency for Research on Cancer in a study of cancer surviva l in developing countries. Comparisons with the SEER program results o f the National Cancer Institute in the United States, and the EUROCARE study of survival in European countries revealed considerable differe nces in the survival of patients with certain tumors associated with i ntensive chemotherapeutic treatment regimes (Hodgkin's disease and tes ticular tumors), more modest differences in the survival of patients w ith tumors for which early diagnosis and treatment confer an improved prognosis (carcinomas of the large bowel, breast, and cenix), and only slight differences for tumors associated with poor prognosis (carcino mas of the stomach, pancreas, and lung). With limited resources to mee t the challenge of the increasing incidence of cancer expected in the next few decades, health authorities in developing countries should be aware of the importance of investing in a range of cancer control act ivities, including primary prevention and early detection programs as well as treatment. (C) 1996 American Cancer Society.