Survival after cancer is improving significantly in Australia,
although not for all types of cancer. Survival is also better among
the more advantaged groups in the population. These findings are
presented in a report released today by the Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare (AIHW), together with Cancer Australia and the
Australasian Association of Cancer Registries.
The report, Cancer survival and prevalence in
Australia, shows that in the period between the mid-1980s and
the early 2000s, the relative chances of surviving 5 years after a
diagnosis of cancer increased significantly.
The increase in survival was generally greater for men than for
women, with all-cancer five-year relative survival for men
increasing from 41% in the period 1982-1986 to 58% for those
diagnosed in 1998-2004.
Women maintained a higher survival overall, although with a
smaller relative increase over the same period - from 53% to
64%.
'The greatest increases in survival were seen in the 50 to 69
year age range. This was due, at least in part, to screening
programs,' said Dr Mark Short of the AIHW's Health Registers and
Cancer Monitoring Unit.
Not all cancers showed the same improvement over the period. The
best improvements were seen in prostate cancer, kidney cancer,
breast cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The least improvement was
for brain cancer, which showed no significant change in
survival.
The cancers with the highest five-year survival in the 1998-2004
period were testicular cancer (97%), thyroid cancer (93%), melanoma
(92%), breast cancer (88%) and prostate cancer (85%).
Cancers with the lowest relative survival were pancreatic
cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer, stomach cancer and cancer of
unknown primary site.
For childhood cancers there was a large increase in 5-year
survival for leukaemia, from 64% in 1982-1986 to 83% in 1998-2004.
But there was little change for the next most common cancers in
children - cancers of the brain, bone and connective issue.
Like many other health indicators, cancer survival is not as
good among people living in low socioeconomic status areas and in
rural and remote Australia. All-cancer five-year relative survival
for both men and women was lower for those in low versus high
socioeconomic status areas (54% compared to 65% for men and 61%
compared to 68% for women). The greatest difference was apparent in
non-Hodgkin lymphoma and cervical cancer.
Professor David Currow, Chief Executive Officer of Cancer
Australia, said the report's findings would assist in developing
future cancer control activities.
Friday 22 August 2008
Further information:
AIHW: Dr Mark Short, tel. 02 6244 1063, mob.
0407 915 851.
Cancer Australia: Professor David Currow, tel.
(02) 6289 1373.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for the availability of Cancer survival and
prevalence in Australia.