Epidemiology of rare cancers and inequalities in oncologic outcomes

Publication date: January 2019Source: European Journal of Surgical Oncology, Volume 45, Issue 1Author(s): G. Gatta, A. Trama, R. Capocaccia, Monika Hackl, Elizabeth Van Eycken, Kris Henau, Nadya Dimitrova, Mario Sekerija, Ladislav Dušek, Margit Mägi, Nea Malila, Maarit Leinonen, Michel Velten, Xavier Troussard, Veronique Bouvier, Anne-Valérie Guizard, Anne-Marie Bouvier, Patrick Arveux, Marc Maynadié, Anne-Sophie WoronoffAbstractRare cancers epidemiology is better known compared to the other rare diseases. Thanks to the long history of the European population-based cancer registries and to the EUROCARE huge database, the burden of rare cancers has been estimated the European (EU28) population. A considerable fraction of all cancers is represented by rare cancers (24%). They are a heterogeneous group of diseases, but they share similar problems: uncertainty of diagnosis, lack of therapies, poor research opportunities, difficulties in clinical trials, lack of expertise and of centres of reference. This paper analyses the major epidemiological indicators of frequency (incidence and prevalence) and outcome (5-year survival) of all rare cancers combined and of selected rare cancers that will be in depth treated in this monographic issue. Source of the results is the RARECAREnet search tool, a database publicly available. Disparities both in incidence and survival, and consequently in prevalence of rare cancers were reported across European countries. Major differences were sho...
Source: European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO) - Category: Surgery Source Type: research