Abstract
The true survival rates for the various forms of childhood cancer are best determined from a population-based study rather than from the results of clinical trials. Population-based survival rates have been calculated for four periods between 1956 and 1980 in Queensland. There was a significant improvement in survival for children who developed cancer after 1973 compared with those diagnosed before this date. There has however been no significant improvement in the survival rate for childhood cancer overall, or for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia since 1973. Over the 25 year period significant trends in survival rates were seen in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, Wilms' tumour, medulloblastoma, and retinoblastoma. No such trend was seen for acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia, neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, juvenile or anaplastic astrocytoma, brain stem glioma, histiocytosis X, or bone tumours. There is a need for continuing research into better methods of treatment of childhood cancer.
Highlights
Cancer is an important cause of mortality in children
There have been many changes in the management of both leukaemias and solid tumours in the past 30 years. Many of these have been reported, together with results, in the form of clinical trials. Most such trials require some degree of selection of cases and very little information is available on the survival rates of unselected series of patients, for the most recent years
One large study has been published on childhood cancer survival in Great Britain (Draper et al, 1982), but only includes children who were diagnosed before 1975
Summary
Cancer is an important cause of mortality in children. In the 1-14 year age group it comes second only to accidents as a cause of death. There have been many changes in the management of both leukaemias and solid tumours in the past 30 years. Many of these have been reported, together with results, in the form of clinical trials. One large study has been published on childhood cancer survival in Great Britain (Draper et al, 1982), but only includes children who were diagnosed before 1975. Another series from the United States included only white children from the years 195571 (Myers et al, 1975). The present study examines the trends in survival rates of childhood cancer in Queensland during the 25 year period from 1956 to 1980
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