SURVMARK: Cancer Survival in High-Income Countries

ICBP SURVMARK-2 (Cancer Survival in High-Income Countries) will produce high impact cancer survival, incidence and mortality comparisons as part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP). The ICBP is a unique and innovative collaboration that brings together clinicians, policy-makers, researchers, and cancer data experts. It aims to measure international differences in cancer survival, and crucially, to identify factors that might be driving these differences.

The ICBP SURVMARK-2 project was launched in July 2016 and is set to be completed by 31 December 2020. Cancer incidence, mortality and survival by age, sex, stage at diagnosis, jurisdiction, country and cancer site are available on the online tool here. This tool is continuously updated to incorporate new study results.

News

• New ICBP SurvMark-2 study explored the role of stage at diagnosis in age disparities among people with colon cancer aged 50-99
  
  A new study “Age disparities in stage-specific colon cancer survival across seven high-income countries” led by the ICBP SurvMark-2 collaborators, published on 2 October 2020 in the International Journal of Cancer finds that:
  
  In all countries, increasing age was associated with lower net survival e.g. 3-year survival in Australia was 81% for 50-64 year olds and 58% for 85-99 year olds.
  
  Distant stage colon cancer had the largest difference in survival between the youngest and the oldest patients. Excess mortality for the oldest patients with localised or regional cancers was observed during the first six months after diagnosis.
  
  Older patients diagnosed with stage colon cancer who survived six months after diagnosis experienced the same survival as their younger counterparts.
  
  Pilleron S, Charvat H, Araghi M, Arnold M, Fidler-Benaoudia MM, Bardot A, Guren MG, Tervonen H, Little A, O'Connell DL, Gavin A, De P, Aagaard Thomsen L, Møller B, Jackson C, Bucher O, Walsh PM, Vernon S, Bray F, Soerjomataram I. Age disparities in stage-specific colon cancer survival across seven countries: an ICBP SURVMARK-2 population-based study. Int J Cancer. 2020 Oct 2. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33326. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33006395.
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• New data on cancer staging and survival from the ICBP SURVMARK-2 project
  
  A new database has been launched as part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP) Cancer Survival in High-Income Countries (SURVMARK-2) project, by the ICBP SurvMark-2 collaborators. The tool assesses survival differences for eight cancer sites across seven countries with similar access to health care (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom). The database presents the distribution of cancer stage at diagnosis across countries, cancer sites, and age groups. It also reports estimated survival of patients across stage groups.
  Access the tool to explore the ICBP SURVMARK-2 database.
  Read IARC press release
  
  
• The launch of the online tool is complemented by the publication of multiple studies that explain survival by stage differences for ovarian cancer, colon cancer, and rectal cancer, as well as the potential role of treatment differences across ICBP countries.
  
  Araghi M, Arnold M, Rutherford MJ, Guren MG, Cabasag CJ, Bardot A, et al. Colon and rectal cancer survival in seven high-income countries 2010–2014: variation by age and stage at diagnosis (the ICBP SURVMARK-2 project). Gut, Published online 1 June 2020;https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2020-320625
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• Cabasag CJ, Butler J, Arnold M, Rutherford M, Bardot A, Ferlay J, et al. Exploring variations in ovarian cancer survival by age and stage (ICBP SurvMark-2): a population-based study. Gynecol Oncol, Published online 1 April 2020; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.12.047
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  August 2020
  
  
• Latest publications of the ICBP SurvMark-2 project
  
  New studies led by the ICBP SurvMark-2 collaborators:
  
  Araghi M, Arnold M, Rutherford MJ, et al. Colon and rectal cancer survival in seven high-income countries 2010-2014: variation by age and stage at diagnosis (the ICBP SURVMARK-2 project) [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 1]. Gut. 2020;gutjnl-2020-320625. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2020-320625
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• Cabasag CJ, Butler J, Arnold M, et al. Exploring variations in ovarian cancer survival by age and stage (ICBP SurvMark-2): A population-based study. Gynecol Oncol. 2020;157(1):234-244. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.12.047
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• Morgan E, Soerjomataram I, Gavin AT, et al. International trends in oesophageal cancer survival by histological subtype between 1995 and 2014 [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 17]. Gut. 2020;gutjnl-2020-321089. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2020-321089
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• Myklebust TÅ, Andersson T, Bardot A, et al. Can different definitions of date of cancer incidence explain observed international variation in cancer survival? An ICBP SURVMARK-2 study [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 13]. Cancer Epidemiol. 2020;67:101759. doi:10.1016/j.canep.2020.101759
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  July 2020
  
  
• New ICBP SurvMark-2 study finds increasing cancer survival and progress across high-income countries since 1995
  
  A new study led by the ICBP SurvMark-2 collaborators, published on 11 September 2019 in The Lancet Oncology, found that survival from seven common cancers (oesophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, lung and ovary) has markedly increased across high-income countries over the period 1995–2014.
  
  Arnold M, Rutherford MJ, Bardot A, Ferlay J, Andersson T, Myklebust TA, et al. (2019). Progress in cancer survival, mortality, and incidence in seven high-income countries 1995–2014 (ICBP SURVMARK-2 project): a population-based study. Lancet Oncol. Published online 11 September 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30456-5
  
  Study funded by: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer; Cancer Council Victoria; Cancer Institute New South Wales; Cancer Research UK; Danish Cancer Society; National Cancer Registry Ireland; The Cancer Society of New Zealand; National Health Service England; Norwegian Cancer Society; Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, on behalf of the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry; The Scottish Government; Western Australia Department of Health; and Wales Cancer Network.
  Read IARC press release - Read the article - September 2019
  
  
• Release of the ICBP SURVMARK-2 data and charts online tool.
  
  The tool provides a range of data visualization to explore up-to-date and long-term trends in cancer survival, incidence, and mortality rates over the past 20 years for 7 cancer sites in seven high income countries - September 2019
  
  
• Three ICBP SurvMark-2 workshops will be held at IARC, Lyon (France) in September 2019: Staging (5-6 September 2019); Staging tool (18 September 2019) and Coding (19-20 September 2019).
  
  These workshops will contribute to the development of international guidelines for the staging and classification of these cancers to ensure robust data for international survival benchmarking purposes - August 2019
  
  
• The 4th call for ICBP SurvMark-2 Expertise Transfer fellowship is now closed. Applications are currently being reviewed by the ICBP SURVMARK-2 Central Team and will be confirmed by the ICBP programme board - August 2019
  
  
• The 4th ICBP SurvMark-2 Executive group meeting will be held at the Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo (Norway) on 25 and 26 November 2019 - August 2019
  
  
• New ICBP SurvMark-2 study finds rising rates of colorectal cancer in younger people.
  
  A new study led by the ICBP SurvMark-2 collaborators, published on 17 May 2019 in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, found that in the most recent 10-year period of available data, rates of colon cancer and rectal cancer in people younger than 50 years increased by up to 4% per year in seven high-income countries. Although colorectal cancer continues to affect mostly people aged 50 years and older, data on more than 400 000 patients with colorectal cancer in seven high-income countries showed considerable upward trends in the risk of developing colorectal cancer for those born after 1990. These findings suggest that the pattern of colorectal cancer incidence is changing and that research into risk factors such as obesity is warranted, to identify the main drivers of the increase in colorectal cancer incidence in recent generations.
  
  Araghi M, Soerjomataram I, Bardot A, Ferlay J, Cabasag C, Morrison DS, et al. Changes in colorectal cancer incidence in seven high-income countries: a population-based study Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol, Published online 16 May 2019; https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(19)30147-5.
  
  Study funded by: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer; Cancer Council Victoria; Cancer Institute New South Wales; Cancer Research UK; Danish Cancer Society; National Cancer Registry Ireland; The Cancer Society of New Zealand; NHS England; Norwegian Cancer Society; Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, on behalf of the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry; The Scottish Government; Western Australia Department of Health; Wales Cancer Network.
  Read IARC press release - Read the article
  
  
• The 3rd ICBP SurvMark-2 Executive group meeting was held at IARC, Lyon (France) on 25 and 26 February 2019 - March 2019
  
  
• At the 2018 World Cancer Congress held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Dr Freddie Bray presented the ICBP SurvMark-2 project during Track 3 "Improved and sustainable healthcare systems for better outcomes / Improving cancer outcomes through international partnerships". His presentation "ICBP SURVMARK-2: a comprehensive and innovative approach to international cancer survival benchmarking" is available here - November 2018
  
  
• The successful applicants to the second call for expertise transfer fellowships are Tanya Navaneelan, Research Associate – Epidemiology, Cancer Care Ontario (Canada) and Guillaume Ruel, Analyst, Department of Cancerology, Ministry of Health and Social service, Québec (Canada). They will be hosted at IARC mid-2019 - March 2019
  
  
• The 40th Annual Scientific meeting of the International Association for Cancer Registries was held in Arequipa (Peru) on 12-15 November 2018. More info here - November 2018
  
  
• The successful applicants to the first call for expertise transfer fellowships are Dr Eileen Morgan and Mr Hazem Ab Elkader. Dr Morgan will be hosted at IARC in Oct-Dec. 2018 to investigate trends in survival of oesophageal cancer by histological sites and countries. Mr Abd Elkader will then be hosted in April-May 2019 to study the avoidable death for the eight ICBP cancer sites (colon, rectum, lung, ovary, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas and liver) as well as melanoma of the skin - September 2018
  
  
• An overview of the ICBP SURVMARK2 project and upcoming activities were presented on 12 June 2018 during the annual NAACCR conference in Pittsburgh (USA) and on 20 June 2018 during the PHE Cancer Services, Data & Outcomes Conferences in Manchester (UK) - July 2018
  
  
• As part of the Summer School on Modern Methods in Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Paul Dickman and Paul Lambert presented an intensive 1-week course on the principles, methods and application of statistical methods in population-based cancer survival analysis. Further details are available here - July 2018
  
  
• An ICBP Phase 2 researcher workshop was held on 20 February 2018 in London with attendees from the Programme Board, SurvMark-2 team, Cancer Patient Pathways, Health systems, Clinicians and Programme team - March 2018
  
  
• A SURVMARK-2 Meeting was organized during the 39th Annual Conference of the International Association of Cancer Registries on 18 October 2017 with SURVMARK-2 colleagues and partners present during the conference.
  
  
• Kick-off meeting of the executive group held in London on 27/28 March 2017. View photo
  
  
• SURVMARK-2 call for data launched in July 2016 – 20 jurisdictions from 6 countries participating.