Cancer survival in Italian patients diagnosed between 2008 and 2017

As national cancer survival estimates in Italy date back to 2011, we provided updated figures using population-based cancer registries. Analyses by age and sex included 1.418.044 cancers diagnosed between 2013 and 2017 from 34 registries covering 48 million residents. The 2008-2017 period, with 20 registries covering 24 million residents, was used for trends and regional comparisons. Net survival was estimated by Pohar-Perme method with life tables by year, sex, residence and calculated using the international standard distribution. Five-year age-standardized net survival for all cancers combined was 66.7 % in females and 62.2 % in males. Females had better survival than males for most cancers, notably acute lymphatic leukaemia (+9 % points (pp)), upper respiratory/digestive (+9 pp), lung (+6 pp), CNS (+5 pp), and stomach (+4 pp). Males had a higher survival for bladder (+4 pp), kidney (+2 pp), and urinary cancers (+5 pp). Best outcomes (>75 %) were documented for prostate, testicular, breast, endometrial, thyroid, melanoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, bladder, and chronic lymphatic leukaemia. Poorest prognosis (<30 %) was for CNS, liver, lung, pancreas, and acute myeloid leukaemias. Survival was age-dependent, highest in younger and lowest in older patients, with > 40 % points gaps in some haematological cancers. From 2008-2017, net survival arose from 65.7 % to 70.7 % in men and from 69.9 % to 74.1 % in women. Improvements were seen for pancreas, lung, and acute leukaemias, mainly in women, while decreases affected bladder, cervical, chronic lymphatic leukaemia in men. Geographical disparities persisted, with higher survival in Northern-Central Italy (64.0 % for men and 68.3 % for women) than in Southern-Islands (58.1 % for men and 63.7 %, for women). Our findings confirmed a better prognosis for younger patients and females than male patients. Survival has continued to improve over time, even at a higher improving rate in the considered period than the past.