OBJECTIVETo provide reference information for prognosis and control of female cancers by analyzing survival rates of breast, cervical and ovarian cancer patients during 2005-2010 in Zhejiang province.

METHODSThe morbidity and mortality data of 18 133 breast, cervical and ovarian cancer patients whose information were registered in health surveillance zone during 2005-2010 in Zhejiang were analyzed. The December 31(st), 2012 was set as the deadline of survival time. Observed survival rate (OS) and relative survival rate (RS) were calculated using SURV3.01 software and comparison between survival rates was conducted through Hakulinen's likely hood ratio test.

RESULTSThe 5-year OS of breast cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer were 76.89%, 70.79%, 2.59%, respectively during 2005-2010 in Zhejiang province. The 5-year RS of the three cancers were 80.26%, 73.89%, 55.17%, respectively. The 5-year RS of breast cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer in urban area were 83.11%, 77.87%, and 57.22% and 78.00%, 72.21%, and 53.83% in rural areas, respectively. The overall RS of urban patients was higher than the rural's (χ(2) = 24.98, 11.55 and 6.62, respectively, all P values < 0.05). The 5-year RS of breast cancer, which was grouped by age, showed that the 15-44 years group was the highest (83.40%), while 65-77 years group was the lowest (74.67%). The 5-year RS of cervical cancer decreased with age, with a 41.73% decrease from 83.83% (15-44 years group) to 42.10% ( ≥ 75 years group). The 15-44 years group showed the highest 5-year RS of ovarian cancer (74.30%), while ≥ 75 years group was the lowest (41.80%).

CONCLUSIONThe prognosis of breast cancer and cervical cancer were relatively optimistic, while the ovarian cancer was not. The prognosis of female cancer patients in urban areas were better than in rural areas.