The new report Cancer in Australia 2019 released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), shows that survival rates for most types of cancers are improving.
The report, Cancer in Australia 2019, shows the number of new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2019 is expected to be three times that of 1982 - rising from 47,500 to 145,000.
While the number of cancer cases is up, the report shows that five-year survival rates from all cancers combined had improved from 50% in 1986–1990 to 69% in 2011–2015.
For the first time, national data are available on the stage at which cancer was diagnosed for the five most common cancers in 2011 (prostate, breast, bowel and lung cancer and melanoma). This work was possible through collaboration between the AIHW, all state and territory population-based cancer registries and Cancer Australia.
While survival rates continue to improve, the report shows that cancer remains a major cause of death in Australia. The report also looked at how cancer outcomes differ across population groups.