Improvements In Cancer Survival In Hungary: A Nationwide Epidemiology Study Between 2011-2019 Based On A Health Insurance Fund Database

Zoltán Kiss ^1,2* Aniko Maraz ³ György Rokszin MD ⁴ Zsolt Horváth ⁵ Peter Nagy ^6,7,8 Ibolya Fábián ^4,9 Valeria Kovacs ⁴ György Surján ^10,11 Zsófia Barcza ¹² István Kenessey ^13,14 Andras Weber ¹³ István Wittmann ² Gergo A. Molnar ² Eszter Gyöngyösi ¹ Viktória Buga ¹ Miklós Darida ¹ Geza Tamas Szabo ¹ Eugenia Karamousouli ¹ Zsolt Abonyi-Tóth ^4,9 Renáta Bertókné Tamás ¹⁰ Viktória Diána Fürtös ¹⁰ Krisztina Bogos ¹⁵ Judit Moldvay ^16,17 Gabriella Gálffy ¹⁸ Lilla Tamási ¹⁹ Veronika Müller ¹⁹ Zoard Krasznai ²⁰ Gyula Ostoros ¹⁵ Zsolt Pápai-Székely ²¹ Gabriella Branyiczkiné Géczy ²² Lászlóné Hilbert ²² Csaba Polgár ^23,24 Zoltán Vokó ^25,26

• ¹ MSD Pharma Hungary Ltd., Budapest, Hungary
• ² Second Department of Medicine and Nephrology-Diabetes Centre, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
• ³ Department of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
• ⁴ RxTarget Ltd, Szolnok, Hungary
• ⁵ Department of Oncology, Bács-Kiskun County Teaching Hospital, Kecskemét, Hungary
• ⁶ Department of Molecular Immunology and Toxicology and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
• ⁷ Department of Anatomy and Histology, HUN-REN–UVMB Laboratory of Redox Biology Research Group, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
• ⁸ Chemistry Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
• ⁹ University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
• ¹⁰ Department of Deputy Chief Medical Officer II., National Public Health Center, Budapest, Hungary
• ¹¹ Institute of Digital Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
• ¹² Syntesia Medical Communications Ltd, Budapest, Hungary
• ¹³ Hungarian National Cancer Registry and National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
• ¹⁴ Department of Pathology, Forensic and Insurance Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
• ¹⁵ National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
• ¹⁶ 1st Department of Pulmonology, National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
• ¹⁷ Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
• ¹⁸ Pulmonology Center of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Törökbáint, Hungary
• ¹⁹ Department of Pulmonology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
• ²⁰ Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
• ²¹ Fejér County Szent György, University Teaching Hospital, Székesfehérvár, Hungary
• ²² Population Census and Demographic Statistics Department, Hungarian Central Statistical Office, Budapest, Hungary
• ²³ National Institute of Oncology and National Tumor Biology Laboratory, Budapest, Hungary
• ²⁴ Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
• ²⁵ Center for Health Technology Assessment, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
• ²⁶ Syreon Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary

The assessment of cancer survival is crucial for evaluating advancements in cancer management. As part of the nationwide HUN-CONCORD study, we examined the net survival of the Hungarian cancer patient population in 2011-2019.Using extracted data from the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) database, the HUN-CONCORD study aimed to assess net survival probabilities for various cancer types over the past decade by the Pohar Perme Estimator method, providing insights for sex and age-specific differences and enabling comparative analysis with other European countries.Between 2011 and 2019, 526,381 newly diagnosed cancer cases were identified, with colorectal, lung, breast, prostate, and bladder cancers being the most common. Age-standardized 5-year net survival rates showed significant improvements from 2011-12 till 2017-19 periods for colorectal cancer from 55.08% to 59.78% (4.70%), lung cancer from 20.10% to 23.55% (3.45%), liver cancer from 11.21% to 16.97% (5.76%) and melanoma from 90.06% to 93.80% (3.73%), while clinically relevant, but not significant improvements for breast cancer from 85.03% to 86.84% (1.81%), prostate cancer from 88.13% to 89.76% (1.63%) and thyroid cancer from 87.23% to 92.36% (5.12%). Women generally had better survival probabilities, with notable variations across cancer types. We found no significant age-related differences in cancer survival in women, while survival improvements of colorectal cancer were more pronounced in younger cohorts among male patients. International comparisons using different mortality life tables demonstrated favorable breast and prostate cancer survival rates in Hungary compared to other Central Eastern European countries.The HUN-CONCORD study revealed positive trends in cancer survival for most cancer types between 2011 and 2019. The study highlights the continued positive trajectory of cancer survival in Hungary like to more developed European countries.