Can Cancer Patients Living Longer

Forty six out of 100 Korean cancer patients live more than five years after their diagnosis, a study has found. This figure is similar to the 43 percent in Japan who survive for five or more years, and lower than the 65 percent in the U.S.

According to the statistics, the rate of cancer among Korean men is 291.1 per 100,000 people, and 177.1 per 100,000 for women.

The study found that one out of four Korean men will get cancer if they live to 73 years old, which is the average life expectancy. One out of five Korean women will get cancer if they live to 81.

This is according to a joint study by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the National Cancer Center and the Korea Central Cancer Registry. The report used information from the national cancer database on 780,273 cancer patients from 1998 to 2002.

The study found that 46.3 percent of cancer patients lived more than five years after they were diagnosed between 1998 and 2002, up from 41.7 percent diagnosed between 1993 and 1997. This enhanced survival rate is attributed to a higher rate of early checkups and improved cancer diagnosis and treatment technology in Korea.

source:english.chosun.com