Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Volume 51, Issue 4, 1997, Pages 418-423

Cancer survival in Estonian migrants to sweden (Article) (Open Access)

Nilsson B.* , Gustavson-Kadaka E. , Hakulinen T. , Aareleid T. , Rahu M. , Dyba T. , Rotstein S.
  • a Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Radiumhemmet, Karolinska University Hospital, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
  • b Department of General Oncology, Radiumhemmet, Karolinska University Hospital, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
  • c Finnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer Research, Liisankatu 21B, FIN-00170 Helsinki, Finland
  • d Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Hiiu 42, EE0016 Tallinn, Estonia
  • e Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Hiiu 42, EE0016 Tallinn, Estonia
  • f Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Radiumhemmet, Karolinska University Hospital, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
  • g Department of Oncology, Danderyd Hospital, S-182 88 Danderyd, Sweden

Abstract

Objective - To quantify the eventual extra loss of life incurred to cancer patients in Estonia compared with those in Sweden that was possibly attributable to differences in society. Design - Population based survival of cancer patients in Estonia was compared with that of Estonian immigrants to Sweden and that of all cancer patients in Sweden. The cancer sites studied were female breast and ovary, male lung and prostate, and male and female stomach and colon. Setting - Data on incident cases of cancer were obtained from the population based Swedish and Estonian cancer registries. Participants - Data from Estonian patients in Sweden, Estonian patients in Estonia, and patients from the total Swedish population were included in the study. Main results - Differences in survival among the three populations, controlling for follow up time and age at diagnosis, were observed in breast, colon, lung, ovarian, and prostate cancers. The survival rates of Estonians living in Sweden and the total population of Sweden were better than that of the Estonians living in Estonia. For cancers of the breast and prostate, the excess mortality in the older age group (75 and above) was much greater in Estonia than in the other populations. Conclusions - Most differences in cancer survival between the Estonian and Swedish populations studied could be attributed to a longer delay in diagnosis, and also to inferior treatment (including access to treatment) in Estonia compared with Sweden. Estonia's lag in socioeconomic development, particularly in its public health organisation and funding, is probably the main source of the differences observed.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

immigrant breast cancer cancer patient lung cancer prostate cancer human cancer survival Aged cancer Estonia Sweden male female Article cancer mortality major clinical study adult Estonian immigrants disease survival colon cancer stomach cancer
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0030840566&doi=10.1136%2fjech.51.4.418&partnerID=40&md5=39dfed4f8145db034ca359340b439553
DOI: 10.1136/jech.51.4.418
ISSN: 0143005X
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English