Australians living in the bush have lower overall cancer
survival rates than people living in metropolitan areas and rural
cities, according to a new report released today by the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Similarly, people living in areas of low socioeconomic status
have poorer average survival, following cancer diagnosis, than
people living in areas of high socioeconomic status.
Cancer Survival in Australia 1992-1997: geographic
categories and socioeconomic status shows that men living
outside metropolitan areas and outside large rural centres had
relative cancer survival rates of 50 to 55% for all cancers at five
years after diagnosis. This was significantly below the 57%
experienced by males in capital cities, other metropolitan areas
and large rural centres.
Women living outside metropolitan areas and outside large rural
centres had five-year relative survival rates of 53 to 56% in
remote areas, and 59 to 60% in rural areas. This compares with a
figure of 60% for metropolitan areas and large rural centres.
Report co-author Dr Chris Stevenson said some of this different
may be explained by cancers in city areas being detected earlier so
that survival appears longer.
'However, there are still real differences in cancer survival
between the city and the country. Some possible reasons include
poorer access to primary medical care and cancer treatment
services, the poorer survival and relatively higher populations of
Indigenous Australians in rural and remote areas, and socioeconomic
status factors.
'On this last point, most areas in rural and remote Australia
are classified by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as lower
socioeconomic status.'
'But the popular wisdom that "wealthy people are healthy people,
and poor people have poor health" holds true in terms of cancer
survival.'
'Australians living in the highest socioeconomic areas are
predominantly in cities, have above average levels of education and
income, and have good access to health services. All these factors
point to earlier detection and treatment of cancer, and therefore
improved prospects of survival,' Dr Stevenson said.
'And our report shows that men in the highest socioeconomic
group had a 61% chance of cancer survival after five years compared
with a 53% chance if you were a man in the lowest socioeconomic
group. The corresponding figures for women were 62% and 59%.'
Other findings in the report include:
- Men living in metropolitan areas had much higher five-year
survival rates for prostate cancer (83% and 82% respectively) than
their counterparts living in other rural and remote areas (75% and
72% respectively).
- For women diagnosed with breast cancer and colorectal cancer,
those living in high socioeconomic status areas had significantly
higher relative survival than those living in low socioeconomic
status areas.
30 April 2003
Further information: Dr Chris Stevenson, AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1041
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1032
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for details.