Trama A; Rossi S; Cerza F; Didoné F; Botta L and Guzzinati S per the EUROCARE6 WG.
49th Annual Meeting of the Group for Cancer Epidemiology and Registration in Latin Language Countries (GRELL)
Porto, 27-30 maggio 2025
Abstract
Objectives: In Europe, cancer survival rates are high and improving for children (0-14 years) and adolescent and young adults (AYAs: 15–39 years). However, AYAs often have worse outcomes than children but better than adults. Using EUROCARE data, this study analyses 5-year relative survival (RS) across age groups, highlighting age-specific differences and survival trends over time to address persistent disparities.
Methods: Data were collected from 95 European population-based cancer registries, covering 57% of the European population. Analyses included malignant cancers diagnosed between 2006 and 2013. Five-year RS was estimated using the period approach for follow-up between 2010 and 2014. Comparisons between AYAs, children, and adults (40-69 years) were conducted using the Z test for absolute differences. Changes in survival trends over time were analysed from 2004 to 2013 using the Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC).
Results: AYAs had lower 5-year RS than children for hematologic cancers, particularly acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (61% vs. 90%) and Ewing sarcoma (51% vs. 69%). Survival gaps were smaller for central nervous system tumours, germ cell tumours, and thyroid carcinoma. Compared to adults, AYAs had higher 5-year RS for most cancers, except breast, colon, and prostate cancers. Over time, 5-year RS improved across all age groups, with AYAs showing faster improvement than children but slower progress compared to adults for certain cancers.
Conclusions: Age-specific disparities in cancer survival persist despite overall improvements. Tailored treatment approaches,
specialised AYA oncology programs and collaboration between paediatric and adult oncologists are crucial to bridging survival gaps and improving outcomes for this population.