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Comparing patients diagnosed during 1986-90 with those diagnosed five years
earlier, improved survival has prevented roughly 3% of the deaths that would
otherwise have occurred, mainly among patients with cancers of the breast, colon
and rectum, bladder, and melanoma of the skin. But the 24,000 deaths that would
be avoided if this trend continues represent only a quarter of the government’s
target of 100,000 avoided deaths.
Further reading:
Richards MA et al. How many deaths have been avoided
through improvements in cancer survival? BMJ 2000; 320: 895-898
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/320/7239/895
... but their analysis of survival from breast cancer has been criticised
- see:
Reference 3 (see first slide)
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