This is the second time I have seen this claim (re cancer survival) posted to HN, both times it has been unsupported by any references-
Do you have any references?
I have been able to find this
Global Cancer Statistics, 2002 DOI 10.3322/canjclin.55.2.74
That shows essentially the same survival between the US and western Europe. (Link to table http://i.imgur.com/UWPxDEx.png )
I think they worked hard on getting comparable data, but I find the discussion on where they come from somewhat lacking. There is some discussion on inconsistencies between diagnoses (when is something Cancer X?), but I could not find a discussion on QALy's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality-adjusted_life_year). I expect that can make a decent difference in 5 year survival rates (if you give patients the choice between 6 months in bed in hospital and 3 months at home, the last on bedridden, quite a few would choose the 3 months)
I suppose I generally consider that when US/UK cancer survival is brought up in this manner it inflates US medical treatment and uses the UK as a proxy for western rest of the world medical treatment - however this isn't true as Cuba, France, Canada and Australia for example hve essentially the same survival from that chart as US survival...
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This is the second time I have seen this claim (re cancer survival) posted to HN, both times it has been unsupported by any references-
Do you have any references?
I have been able to find this
Global Cancer Statistics, 2002 DOI 10.3322/canjclin.55.2.74 That shows essentially the same survival between the US and western Europe. (Link to table http://i.imgur.com/UWPxDEx.png )
Which contradicts the claim
I think they refer to http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS1470-20... (I think http://healthcare.procon.org/sourcefiles/CONCORDCancerSurviv... is a freely available copy). It shows th USA consistently in the top 5, but not always the top.
I think they worked hard on getting comparable data, but I find the discussion on where they come from somewhat lacking. There is some discussion on inconsistencies between diagnoses (when is something Cancer X?), but I could not find a discussion on QALy's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality-adjusted_life_year). I expect that can make a decent difference in 5 year survival rates (if you give patients the choice between 6 months in bed in hospital and 3 months at home, the last on bedridden, quite a few would choose the 3 months)
Thank you for that.
I suppose I generally consider that when US/UK cancer survival is brought up in this manner it inflates US medical treatment and uses the UK as a proxy for western rest of the world medical treatment - however this isn't true as Cuba, France, Canada and Australia for example hve essentially the same survival from that chart as US survival...