Australians have the best chance in the world of surviving a range of cancers, according to a review of global patient outcomes spanning two decades.

The study shows Australians treated for colon or rectal cancer now have an estimated 71% five-year survival rate, while the UK has one of the lowest, at about 60%.

Australia tops five-year survival estimates based on cancer registry data covering nearly 3.8 million patients diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, lung or ovary.

The analysis, led by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, compared cancer outcomes among patients from seve­ral high-income countries, including Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the UK between 1995 and 2014.