Japan's health ministry has released the first five-year survival rates for cancer patients nationwide, based on data from nearly 990,000 diagnoses in 2016. Prostate cancer recorded the highest rate at 92.1%, while pancreatic cancer had the lowest at 11.8%. These figures, drawn from the national cancer registry, underscore variations across cancer types.
Japan's health ministry unveiled five-year survival rates for cancer patients by type on January 15, marking the first use of national registry data. The figures cover around 990,000 individuals diagnosed in 2016, focusing on net survival for those aged 15 and older.
Prostate cancer topped the list with 92.1% survival among 88,961 patients, contrasting sharply with pancreatic cancer's 11.8% for 39,247 cases. Breast cancer fared well at 88.0% for 97,250 patients, followed by bowel cancer at 67.8% (159,093 patients), stomach cancer at 64.0% (132,588 patients), and lung cancer at 37.7% (123,791 patients).
For patients under 15, survival reached 95.7% for lymphocyte or lymphoreticular tumors among 114 cases, 82.2% for leukemia, lymphoproliferative disorders, and myelodysplastic syndrome in 436 patients, and 60.8% for central nervous system tumors in 293 patients. The ministry cautioned that rates should be interpreted carefully when case numbers are low.
These statistics stem from the Cancer Registration Promotion Law enacted in 2013, which requires hospitals and consenting clinics to report patient data. Prior rates relied on regional registries, which suffered issues like duplicate entries for patients crossing prefectural boundaries.
This comprehensive national dataset offers a more reliable benchmark for assessing cancer care advancements and informing future health policies.
