Singapore cancer trends in the last decade

Singapore Med J. 2012 Jan;53(1):3-9; quiz 10.

Abstract

In this review, we examine the trends in cancer incidence, mortality and survival in the last decade, using published data from the Singapore Cancer Registry in the period 1998 to 2009. While overall cancer incidences have remained stable, overall cancer mortality rates have declined for both genders. Thus, it is not surprising that there was an improvement in cancer survival. A steady decrease in lung cancer among males and females was observed, thereby leading to a drop in its cancer ranking. In the last five years, the most frequently occurring cancer was colorectal cancer among the male population and breast cancer among females. Survival for both cancers remained relatively optimistic. There is good reason to pay special attention to colorectal cancer due to its high frequency of occurrence among the Singapore population and because it is amenable to early detection via screening.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Breast Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Breast Neoplasms / mortality
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / mortality
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Lung Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • Male
  • Medical Oncology / trends
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Neoplasms / mortality
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / mortality
  • Singapore
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / mortality