Over two thirds of cancer patients survive

By Kim Se-jeong

Nearly 70 percent of cancer patients survive the disease, a survey by the National Cancer Center showed Tuesday.

It said 69.4 percent of cancer patients diagnosed between 2009 and 2013 have fully recovered from the disease. Full recovery means living for five years after the first diagnosis.

This compares with an average 53.8 percent between 2001 and 2005.

“The main contribution to the higher survival rate may be early diagnosis, a decrease of the male smoking rate, vaccinations and changing lifestyles,” an official from the center said.

According to the report, 225,343 people developed cancer in 2013. The figure is a slight decrease from the previous year’s 226,216.

Thyroid cancer was the most common, found in 42,541 people including both men and women, accounting for 18.9 percent of the total.

It was followed by stomach cancer with 30,184 patients, colon cancer with 27,618, lung cancer with 23,177 patients, breast cancer with 17,292 and liver cancer with 16,192.

All thyroid cancer patients fully recovered. Prostate cancer and breast cancer patients also showed high survival rates, at 92.5 percent and 91.5 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, liver, lung and pancreatic cancer patients had lower survival rates, with 31.4, 23.5 and 9.4 percent, respectively.

The report also showed that as of 2013, one out of 37 people in the country ― or 2.7 percent of the population ― had experienced cancer at least once.

Among those 65 or older, one out of 11 suffered from cancer, or 9.2 percent of the elderly population.

In order to increase early diagnosis, the cancer center said it will require people with hepatitis B or C to take a liver cancer test every six months, as it is now recommended once a year.

It will also recommend women take cervical cancer tests starting in their 20s, while it now starts recommending it for those in their 30s.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it would build a cancer data center, consolidating data collected by various ministries and providing a single open database on cancer accessible to citizens.