Testicular cancer survival in Estonia: Improving but still relatively low

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Abstract
Background. International comparisons have pointed to very low survival of patients diagnosed with testicular cancer (TC) in Estonia. Methods. Using population based data from the Estonian Cancer Registry and period analysis, we examined trends in TC survival between 1985 and 2004. Additional results from a review of clinical records to ascertain patterns of disease management (1990–2003) were used to explain the changes and identify the areas for potential improvement. Results. Age-adjusted 5-year period relative survival increased from 47.9% in 1985–1989 to 74.5% in 2000–2004 (p for trend Conclusions. Survival in TC increased markedly in Estonia by the 21st century, but is still notably lower than in the more developed countries. Multidisciplinary efforts may help to achieve further improvement. The provision of TC care should be coordinated by specialised cancer centres.

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