Half of the Liver or Lung Cancer Patients Died within 1 Year

The patients of the breast cancer (97.1 percent) showed the highest survival rate of one year after the patients were diagnosed, followed by the patients of the uterine cervix cancer (93.5 percent) and skin cancer (92.1 percent). However, the survival rate for the pancreas cancer patients (36.7 percent), gall bladder cancer (40.4 percent), liver cancer (43.0 percent), lung cancer (48.2 percent), and esophagus cancer (48.5 percent) were lower than 50 percent. The average survival rate of the cancer patients one year after their diagnoses was 67.6 percent.

Above figures are based on the `Report on Cancer Treatment for the Health Insurance Holders between 1998-2000` that the National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC) announced on 21st. The subjects of the survey were 96,737 cancer patients, who were newly hospitalized in 1999.

In addition, the newly hospitalized cancer patients were 101,781 in 2000, including male patients of 56,515 (55.5 percent) and female patient of 45,266 (44.5 percent). Among the whole cancer patients of 218,735, 157,440 people received hospital treatment during last year.

The newly hospitalized cancer patients can be divided as follows; ▲ stomach cancer (18.4 percent) ▲ lung cancer (14.1 percent) ▲liver cancer (12.2 percent) ▲ large intestine cancer (9.9 percent) ▲ breast cancer (5.7 percent) ▲ uterine cervix cancer (3.9 percent). The patients of the so-called `six major cancers for Koreans` were 64.3 percent of the all cancer patients.

By age group, `over 60s` were 49,986 (49 percent) and `40s-50s` were 37,543 (37 percent). Over 60s constituted the majority of the stomach, lung, and large intestine cancers patients, and 40s-50s were the largest among the patients of liver, breast, and uterine cervix cancers.

The medical cost of the cancer patients totaled 745.8 billion won, and the NHIC paid 540.9 billion won (73 percent). The average medical cost per one patient was 6 million won, and among this amount 4.34 million won was covered by NHIC.

The average hospitalized period was 37 days, and the medical treatment period including medication days averaged 163 days.

The Asan Medical Center, the Samsung Seoul Hospital, and the Seoul National University Hospital hospitalized the largest number of cancer patients regardless of the kinds of cancer. But the Korea Cancer Center Hospital marked the largest inpatients of uterine cervix, mesothelial tissue, larynx, and bone and articular cartilage cancers. The ovarian cancer and leukemia patients mostly chose the Samsung Cheil Hospital & Women`s Healthcare Center and the Yoido Catholic Medical Center respectively to be hospitalized.

Chul Moon fullmoon@donga.com