For the preparation of this report, 54,147 malignant tumours were analysed.

In practice, about 2 out of every 3 patients were alive 5 years after diagnosis.

Differences between the sexes

The results reveal differences between the sexes: 72% of women survive at least five years after diagnosis, while in men, this figure is 62%.

In statements to the Lusa news agency, the coordinator of the RON, Maria José Bento, an epidemiologist at the Portuguese Oncology Institute (IPO) in Porto, said that this difference is largely due to tumour type but is also influenced by the habits of each sex.

“Men have much more lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, and oral cavity cancer, which are tumours that do not have a good prognosis, which ends up also being reflected in worse survival rates. On the other hand, perhaps we also have a problem with earlier detection. Usually, women are more attentive to symptoms and seek medical attention more frequently than men,” pointed out the director of the Epidemiology Service at the IPO Porto.

In men, the best survival rates were for testicular, thyroid, and prostate cancer.

With a five-year survival rate of less than 20%, cancers of the brain and central nervous system, oesophagus, pancreas, mesothelioma, and primary cancers of unknown origin appear.

In women, the tumours with the best prognosis were chronic myeloproliferative diseases, thyroid gland cancer, Hodgkin's disease, and breast cancer.

On the other hand, the least favourable, with survival rates below 20% at five years, were cancers of the brain and central nervous system, liver, pancreas, mesothelioma, and primary cancers of unknown origin.

It is also reported that the analysis by cancer location confirms that women have better outcomes in most of the most common neoplasms, including thyroid, lung, and melanoma.

Regional inequalities

Regional inequalities are also evident, with the North and Centre recording the best results, and the Autonomous Region of Madeira registering the lowest survival.

On this matter, noting that this report does not allow conclusions to be drawn about access to treatment, Maria José Bento insisted that "the differences in survival rates may have several explanations," but "when we see that there are regions in which some tumours have better survival rates than others, we know that one of the main factors is early diagnosis and early treatment."

“The population should be aware of the symptoms, seek medical attention, and not underestimate the symptoms. On the other hand, treatment must be done early (...). We know that for some tumours, for example, pancreatic cancer, the type of tumour is so serious that it has a higher fatality rate. When people are diagnosed, they are already in an advanced stage of the disease. There are other tumours where early diagnosis makes all the difference,” he stressed, giving the example of breast cancer.

“We have breast cancer screening, which has been in place for several years, and practically the whole country is covered. There, we have very good survival rates, almost comparable to those in Nordic countries. Screenings add years of life. Health services also have to provide timely treatment for these people. It is hardly compatible to have a diagnosis and then for the person to wait months to be treated,” he emphasised.

Considering that, in Portugal, "there is room for growth" in screening programs with an impact on survival, Maria José Bento insisted to Lusa on the importance of public participation.