Incidence of retinoblastoma and survival rate of retinoblastoma patients in Korea using the Korean National Cancer Registry database (1993-2010).

PURPOSE We determined the incidence of retinoblastoma and the long-term survival rate of retinoblastoma patients in South Korea. METHODS We reviewed retrospectively data from the Korea Central Cancer Registry recorded between 1993 and 2010 to identify the incidence of retinoblastoma and the survival rate of retinoblastoma patients in Korea. The incidence of retinoblastoma was estimated by population-based analysis of children aged 0 to 4 years and children aged 0 to 9 years, population-based analysis per live birth, and birth cohort analysis. Survival was analyzed using the Korea Central Cancer Registry database, which was crosschecked with the national death registry. RESULTS The overall incidence was 11.2 for children aged 0 to 4 years and 5.3 for children aged 0 to 9 years per 1,000,000 person-years, 5.9 per 100,000 live births, and 5.3 per 100,000 live births. Birth cohort analysis showed less variable results in incidence rates over 4 calendar-periods compared to the population-based analyses. The all-cause mortality rate was 7.9% at 5 years and 8.4% at 10 years. The rate improved from 12.5% for patients diagnosed in 1993 to 2000 to 4.5% for those diagnosed in 2001 to 2010. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of retinoblastoma in Korea was found to be similar to that in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The survival rate of retinoblastoma patients in Korea was significantly better during 2001 to 2010 than during 1993 to 2000.