The new report Cancer in Australia 2017 released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), shows that cancer continues to be a major cause of illness in Australia.
The number of new cases of cancer is increasing, with approximately 1 person diagnosed with cancer every 4 minutes in Australia.
In Australia we have among the highest cancer survival rates in the world, however cancer continues to be the leading cause of burden of disease.
Lung cancer is expected to be the leading cause of cancer death in Australia in 2017, followed by bowel cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer in women and pancreatic cancer.
Breast cancer in women is the most common cancer in Australia, followed by bowel cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma of the skin.
The report highlights the continued variations in cancer outcomes for population groups who experience poorer health outcomes, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people living in rural and remote Australia and socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
Find out more:
- View the full report Cancer in Australia 2017