TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of education level on cancer survival in Sweden
AU - Hussain, Shehnaz K.
AU - Lenner, P.
AU - Sundquist, J.
AU - Hemminki, K.
PY - 2008/1
Y1 - 2008/1
N2 - Background: While cancer survival at several sites has historically been shown to vary by education level, a current comprehensive assessment of survival following a cancer diagnosis in Sweden, a country with universal health care and cancer screening, has yet to be carried out. Methods: Using the 2006 update of the Swedish Family-Cancer Database and Cox's proportional hazards regression methods, we calculate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval to estimate the influence of education level on site-specific cancer survival. Results: Significant positive associations between education level and cancer survival were observed following a diagnosis of upper aerodigestive track cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer, urinary bladder cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. Although the HRs differed between cancer sites, compared with women and men completing <9 years of education, university graduates were associated with a significant 40% improved survival for all cancer sites combined. Conclusions: Survival differences by education level were observed for both indolent and aggressive malignancies.
AB - Background: While cancer survival at several sites has historically been shown to vary by education level, a current comprehensive assessment of survival following a cancer diagnosis in Sweden, a country with universal health care and cancer screening, has yet to be carried out. Methods: Using the 2006 update of the Swedish Family-Cancer Database and Cox's proportional hazards regression methods, we calculate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval to estimate the influence of education level on site-specific cancer survival. Results: Significant positive associations between education level and cancer survival were observed following a diagnosis of upper aerodigestive track cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer, urinary bladder cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. Although the HRs differed between cancer sites, compared with women and men completing <9 years of education, university graduates were associated with a significant 40% improved survival for all cancer sites combined. Conclusions: Survival differences by education level were observed for both indolent and aggressive malignancies.
KW - Cancer
KW - Education
KW - Survival
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=37849007302&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/annonc/mdm413
DO - 10.1093/annonc/mdm413
M3 - Article
C2 - 17785761
AN - SCOPUS:37849007302
SN - 0923-7534
VL - 19
SP - 156
EP - 162
JO - Annals of Oncology
JF - Annals of Oncology
IS - 1
ER -