Summary

Cancer data in Australia (CdiA) provides a wide range of statistics on many cancers. CdiA also includes some cancer data commentaries. Some of these commentaries are targeted articles focussed on specific cancers while others explain how to use CdiA’s data.

Most of the statistics within CdiA are presented through interactive data visualisations.  Data for all visualisations, except cancer rankings, are also available in Excel. Data includes projections for more recent years while the majority of data are actuals. This year’s CdiA includes updated data for existing reports but also adds some additional cancer data reports.

Contents - new types of data and reports available

Cancer overview, 2024

This report includes a written overview about cancer in Australia for 2024

Neuroendocrine neoplasms by cancer site – new report

The neuroendocrine neoplasm by cancer site data visualisation provides neuroendocrine incidence, survival and prevalence by cancer site statistics.

To accompany the new data visualisation, this cancer data commentary provides an overview of neuroendocrine neoplasm cancer statistics in Australia.  

Prevalence time series – new report

The cancer prevalence visualisation provides 1-, 5- and 10-year prevalence counts and rates by age from 2000 to 2020. 

The prevalence data routinely available within this report is located in the summary statistics. Prevalence data has also been added to the blood cancer by histology data visualisations.

State and territory mortality data – additional content

State and territory cancer mortality statistics are now included within the cancer by state and territory data visualisation

Cancer by histology (incidence and survival data) – additional content

Histology describes the type of cells or tissue in which cancer originates. Several cancers have been added to the cancer by histology data visualisations.  Vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, cancer of other and unspecified female genital organs, placenta cancer, bladder cancer and thyroid cancer have been added to this year’s report. Cervical cancer histology codes have also been updated. 

Contents - CdiA core statistics – data updated August 2024

The following statistics form the core CdiA content and are updated annually. The new visualisations and data mentioned above will be added to the CdiA core statistics.

What do the interactive data visualisations contain?

Cancer summary data visualisation – this visualisation contains incidence counts and rates, survival rates and prevalence data. Time series are provided for this data except for prevalence.

Cancer incidence rankings data visualisation – this visualisation lists the leading 20 cancers in Australia for incidence and mortality over time (from 1982 for incidence and from 2007 for mortality)

Cancer incidence by age groups data visualisation – this visualisation contains time series for cancer cases and rates by a wide range of different age groups and also includes the median age at diagnosis.

Cancer mortality by age group data visualisation – this visualisation contains the number of cancer deaths and mortality rates by a wide range of different age groups. Median age at death is only available in Excel within the Data section of this report.

Cancer survival data visualisation – this visualisation contains observed, relative and conditional survival rates over time. Observed and relative survival for the most recent period by 5-year age group are also provided.

Cancer survival by age data visualisation – this visualisation contains observed and relative survival and by 20-year age groups over time. Age-adjusted survival rates over time are also available in this visualisation.

Cancer by state and territory data visualisation – this visualisation contains state and territory cancer incidence and mortality time series data.

Cancer risk data visualisation – this visualisation contains the risk of being diagnosed and the risk of death from cancer time series. Data is presented by age. Risk data is available where it is adjusted for competing mortality and not adjusted for competing mortality.

Blood cancer by histology (experimental incidence and survival data) – this visualisation contains blood cancer incidence and survival data by histology. Histological information allows a finer level of cancer incidence and survival rates. The data while experimental, provides survival statistics more relevant to specific diagnosis and the incidence rates for these cancers. Data is presented by age.

Cancer by subsite (incidence and survival data) – through using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems Version 10 (ICD–10) 3- and 4-character coding, cancer incidence and survival rates by subsite are provided. For example, melanoma of the skin incidence survival data are available by subsites such as melanoma of the trunk, of the upper limb including shoulders and other sites of the body. Data is presented by age.

Selected cancers by histology (experimental incidence and survival data) – in addition to the new cancers added this year (discussed above), survival and incidence data by histology is available for appendiceal cancer, brain cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, rectosigmoid junction cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, mesothelioma, melanoma of the skin, and kidney cancer.

Cancer incidence projections (2025 to 2034) - these projections provide longer-term projections and are developed through the Nordpred software package. Information about these projections are found in the long-term cancer incidence projections page and the projections are available in the Data section of this report.

All interactive data visualisations contain information by sex.

Pivot tables that provide cancer incidence counts by 3-character ICD–10 codes are located in the Data section. Rates by age are now available within the raw data for the pivot table but do not appear in the presented pivot table. 

CdiA core statistics part 2, cancer by stage - data updated December 2018

The latest national data are provided on cancer survival, and incidence, by stage of cancer at diagnosis for the 5 most commonly diagnosed cancers (melanoma of the skin, and breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancers) in 2011. The Cancer incidence and survival by stage data visualisation remains available within this report; information remains unchanged from the previous release of this report because more recent cancer incidence and survival by stage data are not available.

Cancer data commentaries

The following cancer data commentaries have been released in previous years. With the exception of commentary 8b, these are not updated. Accordingly, where commentaries cite rates, these will often be different to those provided in this updated report. 

Table 1: Cancer data commentaries released in previous years

Commentary no.Title and content overviewRelease date
C10

Expanded blood cancer reporting and the blood cancer reporting framework

This commentary introduces the expanded blood cancer reporting now available within CdiA and also discusses why the data is experimental.

31/8/2023
C8b

Interim guidelines – choosing which mortality data source to use (2023 update)

This commentary updates the recommended mortality data source (either the Australian Cancer Database or the National Mortality Database) for the various cancers reported on within this report. The recommendations are not prescriptive and are provided for those who wish assistance. Some further general advice to help address possible cancer mortality reporting issues is also discussed.

15/8/2024
Updated annually with original release on 4/10/2022
C9

Prostate cancer – projection method changes, updated long-term prostate cancer incidence projections

This commentary provides greater detail of the prostate cancer incidence projection method change that occurred in 2023. The commentary notes limitations and difficulties projecting incidence for this cancer. The ageing population’s impact on prostate cancer incidence and mortality is discussed within the commentary.

04/10/2022
C8

Cancer mortality data investigations (preliminary investigations)

Using National Mortality Database (NMD) and Australian Cancer Database mortality data comparisons, this commentary explores potential limitations in using the NMD to report on mortality for some cancers. It discusses the complexity of establishing the underlying cause of death and the corresponding issues these may have on mortality reporting for some cancers.

01/07/2022
C7

Updating sarcoma reporting

A commentary introducing the new reporting category 'all sarcomas combined' and outlining changes to soft tissue sarcoma and bone cancer reporting within CdiA.

08/06/2021
C6

About age-adjusted survival

A commentary outlining how to use age-adjusted survival rates and data within the cancer survival by age data visualisation.

08/06/2021
C5

Improving the understanding of ovarian cancer statistics

A commentary discussing issues that are impacting on the reliable interpretation of ovarian cancer rate changes over time.

08/06/2021
C4

A different view of how brain cancer rates are changing over time

A commentary aiming to provide a clearer picture of how brain cancer rates may be changing over time

08/06/2021
C3

How are pancreatic cancer rates changing?

A commentary about how pancreatic cancer incidence, mortality, risk and survival rates have been changing over the last 20 years.

13/11/2020
C2

Risk of melanoma of the skin by age and over time

An overview of the changing risk of being diagnosed with, or dying from, melanoma of the skin; risk is considered by different ages.

30/10/2020
C1

Changes to the cancer risk data and guidance using the risk methods

An overview of the expanded range of cancer risk data, including assistance in understanding risk adjusted for competing mortality.

30/10/2020


Cancer data available as supplementary tables

Supplementary tables are available containing the data used to inform the above-mentioned statistical reports and commentaries.