Introduction: The last comprehensive estimation of survival for Danish cancer patients was carried out 10 years ago. Based on this estimation and on Nordic and international survival comparisons, a national cancer plan was formulated in order to improve the poor relative survival in Danish cancer patients as compared to other Nordic countries.
Material and methods: We used the national cancer register data validated until the end of 1997 and followed up patients below 90 years of age, known from sources other than death certificates and autopsies to the end of 2000. One-, five-, and 10-year relative survival were computed for age groups 0-44, 45-64, 65-74 and 75-89 from 1981 and onwards in five-year calendar periods, ending with a two-year period, 1996-1997.
Results: Altogether 396,248 patients were studied. The five-year relative survival improved substantially over time for all sites together (except the skin) to 39% for men and 51% for women. This improvement was seen for cancer of the colon, rectum, breast, bladder, kidney, cervix and corpus uteri, testis, brain, haematological cancers, and malignant melanoma. No improvement was seen for cancer of the lungs in particular, the oesophagus, stomach, oral cavity, and the pharynx. In general, the prognosis was better for the younger age groups than the older groups.
Discussion: Future analysis compared to the present will demonstrate the immediate effect, and later the long-term effect, of the National Cancer Plan.