British journal of cancer
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Comparisons of survival rates of given diseases with different treatments or in different places often gave misleading results until the introduction of controlled trials. Recent reports of relatively low survival rates following the treatment of cancer in the UK compared to the rates in other countries, not based on controlled trials, may consequently be misleading. ⋯ The UK rates are not generally worse than those in the other countries and are sometimes better. Exceptions were cancer of the lung, large bowel, and breast, the first of which is explained by differences in the prevalence of smoking.