Long-term survival rates among patients with cancer in Saskatchewan, 1967-1986

We calculated relative survival rates from 5 to 15 years after diagnosis for cancer cases diagnosed in Saskatchewan, Canada, between 1967 and 1986. Cancers with high 15-year relative survival (greater than 60%) included lip, melanoma among women, other male genital sites, and corpus uteri. As anticipated, relative survival rates declined with increasing length of follow-up, with the largest relative declines noted among those in the oldest age group (65+ years). Only small declines in relative survival were noted for cancers of the colon and cervix with increasing length of follow-up. Improved survival of cases diagnosed in the period 1980-1984 compared to 1970-1974 was observed for all sites combined, as well as the following sites: colon, lung, prostate, brain, ill-defined sites, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and lymphoid leukemia. For colorectal cancer, stage at diagnosis was a more important independent predictor of survival than age.