MORE than three-quarters of young cancer patients in China now survive for at least five years, according to a new study, with overall survival rates showing significant improvement and certain cancer types achieving outcomes comparable to global standards.

The study, released yesterday by the National Center for Pediatric Cancer Surveillance (NCPCS), reported an overall five-year survival rate of 77.2% for patients aged 0 to 19 years. The rate was 77.8% for children under 14 and 75.3% for adolescents aged 15 to 19. Survival rates for girls were marginally higher than those for boys.

Among the cancers studied, retinoblastoma had the highest five-year survival rate at 91.2%, while malignant bone tumors had the lowest at 60.4%.

Notably, China’s survival rates for all six cancer types prioritized by the World Health Organization’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer exceeded 80%, with the highest reaching 93.8%. These results significantly surpass the WHO’s target of a 60% survival rate for these cancers, which include acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumor, and low-grade glioma.

“Compared with estimates from a decade ago, the five-year survival rate for cancer patients aged 0-19 in China has improved markedly,” said Ni Xin, director of the NCPCS and president of Beijing Children’s Hospital, which is affiliated with the Capital Medical University.

“Progress has been particularly significant for common childhood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. The survival rates for neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma are now close to the levels seen in high-income countries,” Ni added.

The findings, based on an analysis of 95,189 cases registered within the NCPCS’s nationwide monitoring network, were published in The Lancet. The NCPCS was established in 2019 to track outcomes for young cancer patients across the country.

(Xinhua)