Zoltán Kiss, Tamás László Berki, Anikó Maráz, Zsolt Horváth, Péter Nagy, Ibolya Fábián, Valéria Kovács, György Rokszin, György Surján, Zsófia Barcza, István Kenessey, András Wéber, István Wittmann, Gergő Attila Molnár, Tamás G. Szabó, Viktória Buga, Eugenia Karamousouli, Miklós Darida, Zsolt Abonyi-Tóth , Renáta Bertókné Tamás, Viktória Diána Fürtös, Krisztina Bogos, Judit Moldvay, Gabriella Gálffy, Lilla Tamási, Veronika Müller, Zoárd Tibor Krasznai, Gyula Ostoros, Zsolt Pápai-Székely, Gabriella Branyiczkiné Géczy, Lászlóné Hilbert, Csaba Polgár and Zoltán Vokó (Cancers, doi:…)
Simple Summary: This study from the HUN-CANCER EPI program analyzed cancer survival trends in Hungary between 2011 and 2019 using data from the National Health Insurance Fund. It is among the first to provide detailed overall survival information for Hungarian cancer patients, broken down by cancer type, sex, age group, and diagnostic period. The study found that some cancers—such as esophageal, pancreatic, liver, gallbladder, and lung cancer—had especially poor five-year survival rates, with many patients dying within just a few months of diagnosis. In contrast, testicular and thyroid cancers, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, melanoma, and breast cancer were linked to much better outcomes. These results underline the urgent need for earlier detection and focused treatment strategies. By identifying which cancers lead to the highest early mortality, the findings can help guide healthcare policy and improve support for patients, ultimately aiming to save more lives through targeted action.
Background: Assessing cancer survival trends is crucial for monitoring progress in cancer management and prevention. As part of the broader HUN-CANCER EPI study, this analysis examined overall survival (OS) in the Hungarian cancer population between 2011 and 2019.
Methods: Using data extracted from the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) database, short- and long-term OS were estimated for various cancer types according to age, sex, and diagnostic period using Kaplan–Meier analysis. The study also identified cancer types with significant early mortality following diagnosis.
Results: From 2011 to 2019, a total of 528,808 patients were diagnosed with cancer. During the 2015–2019 diagnostic period, the lowest 5-year OS rates were observed for esophageal (7.0%), pancreatic (10.7%), liver (12.5%), gallbladder (13.9%), and lung cancer (18.4%). Conversely, tumor types with better OS included testicular cancer (91.6%), thyroid cancer (89.0%), Hodgkin’s lymphoma (84.0%), melanoma (78.6%), and breast cancer (74.1%). A notable proportion of deaths occurred within 2 months of diagnosis for liver (33.2%), pancreatic (27.9%), and gallbladder cancer (29.0%). Significant early mortality within 6 months post-diagnosis was also noted for esophageal (51.3%), stomach (42.9%), and lung cancer (41.7%).
Conclusions: The HUN-CANCER EPI study conducted between 2011 and 2019 provides valuable insights into cancer survival patterns in Hungary, emphasizing the importance of early detection and targeted interventions to improve patient outcomes.