Cancer control

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NHPA Cancer Control

Contents

What is cancer?

Cancer is a diverse group of diseases in which some of the body cells become defective, begin to multiply out of control, can invade and damage the tissue around them, and may also spread (metastasise) to other parts of the body causing further damage. 

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Why is cancer control a National Health Priority Area?

Cancer has a major impact on the Australian community, in terms of morbidity, mortality and costs. In 2004, more than 488,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Australia. About 390,000 of these cancers were of less threatening types of non-melanocytic skin cancers (NMSC). Based on current incidence, it is estimated that 1 in 3 males and 1 in 4 females in Australia will be directly affected by cancer (excluding NMSC) before the age of 75.

More than one-third (34%) of all persons who died in 2005 had a malignant cancer. There were 38,838 deaths directly attributed to cancer (21,860 males and 16,978 females), and a further 5,361 had a malignant cancer as a secondary cause of death. Of deaths caused directly by cancer, lung cancer accounted for 22% of all cancer deaths among males, followed by prostate cancer (14%) and colorectal cancer (11%). Breast cancer (16%) and lung cancer (16%) were the leading causes of cancer deaths in females, followed by colorectal cancer (11%). 

The NHPA Cancer Control initiative focuses on eight different types of cancers:

These eight cancers accounted for about 53% of all cancer deaths in Australia in 2005.

Cancer was the largest contributor (19%) to the total burden of disease and injury in Australia in 2003, in terms of disability-adjusted life years (Begg et al. 2007). In monetary terms, the direct cost of cancer was estimated at $2.8 billion in 2000-01. 

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What are the strategies for cancer control?

Efforts to control cancer involve primary prevention, early detection and therapy. The programs and tools for these activities vary with the type of cancer but mostly include a combination of all three.

Primary prevention includes public health programs to reduce tobacco smoking, exposure to tobacco smoke and cancer-causing agents in the environment, and excessive exposure to ultra-violet radiation.

Early detection improves survival and other outcomes. National screening programs for breast and cervical cancers in Australia have contributed to substantial declines in associated mortality during the last decade.

The treatment of cancer is undertaken in various settings, including general practitioner surgeries (for skin cancers in particular) and through hospital inpatient and outpatient services. Treatments include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and counselling support services. Advances in each one of these areas are improving cancer outcomes.

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How is cancer monitored?

Regular surveillance and monitoring of various cancer control initiatives and strategies require tracking of different prevention, screening and treatment modalities, risk factor reduction, and premature mortality. In Australia, cancer is a notifiable disease and all States and Territories have established registries to collect data on cancer incidence and mortality. Information on some of the major risk factors such as tobacco smoking and excessive alcohol consumption is generated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and other national agencies through a variety of surveys.

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Last reviewed on 21 May 2008