Descriptive epidemiology of soft tissue sarcomas and gastrointestinal stromal tumors in Thailand.

This study aimed to analyze burden of STS and GIST in population and survival rate which represented the current situation of treatment in Thailand. The data was collected from five population-based cancer registries around the country for the period 2001 through 2015. The Segi world standard population was used to calculated age-standardized incidence rates (ASR). Standardized rate ratios (SRR) were used to compare populations. Joinpoint Trend Analysis was used to assess changes in incidence. STATA was used to examine patient survival rates. During the study period, 4080 cases of STS and 457 cases of GIST were reported. The ASR of STS and GIST was 2.14/100,000 person-years and 0.22/100,000 person-years, respectively. The most common histological types of STS were unspecified sarcoma (24.8%), leiomyosarcoma (19.0%) and liposarcoma (11.4%). The overall ASR of STS in Thailand was relatively low compared to Western countries. The five-year survival rate was 62.6% for STS and 63.4% for GIST, which was comparable to the rates reported in other countries. This is the first report of STS and GIST from PBCRs in Thailand. Based on current healthcare service, an overall survival rates of STS and GIST are comparable to those reported from others.

An analysis of the incidence and survival rates of bone sarcoma patients in thailand: reports from population-based cancer registries 2001-2015.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiology data from population-based cancer registries (PBCR) can be very valuable in the development of health policy and for improving the quality of cancer control strategies. METHODS: This study analyzed the incidence of bone sarcomas in Thailand during 2001 - 2015 by analyzing data obtained from 5 PBCRs across country. Incidence rates per million person-years by sex, histological subtype, primary site and 5-year age group were calculated. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) were adjusted using the WHO's World Standard Population and comparisons between populations were done using standardized rate ratios (SRR). Incidence trends were evaluated using Joinpoint Trend Analysis. Survival rates were analyzed using STATA. RESULTS: The ASR of bone sarcomas in Thailand was 5.1/106 person-years, with an estimated 328 newly diagnosed bone sarcomas per year for the country overall. Osteosarcoma (52.5%), chondrosarcoma (18%), Ewing's sarcoma (11.6%), giant cell tumor (4.8%) and chordoma (4.7%) were the most common malignant bone tumors, representing 91.5% of all bone sarcomas. Bone sarcoma has a predilection for males (1.29:1) and an age-specific bimodal rate pattern closely related to the major histological subtypes, osteosarcoma. One- and five-year survival rates of Thai patients with bone sarcoma were 74% and 52%, respectively. Survival rates of bone sarcomas, particularly osteosarcoma, were lower than the rates reported from the United States, Europe and Japan. CONCLUSION: The lower overall survival rate of bone sarcoma represented the gap of bone sarcoma control program in Thailand. That indicates the need for improvement in health promotion, treatment process and chemotherapy for bone sarcoma patients in the future.

Accounting for Immigrant Status when Calculating Cancer Incidence Rates for Bangkok

Objective: Cancer-registry data are crucial for definingcancer incidence rates for use in setting service priorities and monitoringservice effects. This applies in Thailand where cancer is the leading cause of death and service needs are high. The Bangkok Cancer Registry (population-based) was established in 1990to determine cancer incidence rates for Bangkok. This proved difficult, however, because the Bangkokpopulation (>8million) fluctuates with numbers of temporary visitors, many of whom visit Bangkok temporarily for services. If these visitors are mis-categorized as usual residents, cancer incidence rateswould be inflated. During 2013-2015, residential addresses on the Registry were cross-checked against official addresses on the National Civil Registration records of the Ministry of Interior. The effectsof this cross-checking on incidence rates are discussed. Methods: Residential addresses recorded on the Registry for cancer diagnoses in 2013-2015 were corrected using official Ministry data. Effects on numbers of recorded cancers and crude and directly age-standardized rates (World Population) were determined. Results: Of 44,813 cancer casesdiagnosed and recorded on the Registryduring 2013-2015, 36,327 (81.1%) had an official Bangkok address. When limiting analyses to these cases, the crude incidencefor all cancer sites combined reduced by 18.9% (19.7% for males and 18.3% for females). Corresponding reductions in age-standardized incidence rates were 20.0% for males and 18.8% for females. These reductions varied for common cancer sites:in males,from 14.8% for lung to 25.9% for colorectal cancer; and in females, from 12.9% for lung to 24.0% for cervical cancer. Conclusions: These differences are considered sufficient in magnitude to justifyroutine use of official residential data when calculating cancer incidence rates for Bangkok. If these rates are to be compared with comparable rates for other Asian citiesthat serve broader populations, equivalent methodologies for determining residential status would be needed for all cities.