Notes on the data: Cancer incidence

Cancer incidence by type, male, female and persons, 2014 to 2018

Policy context: Cancer is a broad term representing a number of different diseases. Cancer occurs when cells of the body grow and multiply abnormally, becoming dangerous when they spread to surrounding or different areas of the body. Abnormal cell growth can arise from almost any type of tissue cell [1].

Incidence of all types of cancers combined has increased in recent decades, although the rate has declined slightly since 2008 [1]. Over the same period, five-year survival rates have improved and the death rate has declined [2]. In 2019 the estimated number of new cases was 144,713, of which 54.0% were for males and 46.0% for females. The most common cancer for males was prostate cancer, and for females was breast cancer. The next most common cases for both males and females were colorectal (bowel) cancer, melanoma of the skin and lung cancer [1].

Cancer was the leading cause of death in 2016 and remains a major cause of illness [1].

The National Cancer Prevention Policy recommends population measures for reducing the incidence of preventable cancers focusing on prevention, early detection and immunisation. Preventable risk factors include tobacco and alcohol consumption, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity and diet, ultraviolet radiation exposure and occupational hazards. Population-based screening programs in Australia target breast, cervical and bowel cancers. Population-immunisation programs reduce the incidence of cancer-causing infections, namely human papillomavirus (HPV) which is responsible for almost all cervical cancer, and hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is a leading cause of liver cancer [3].

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2019. Cancer in Australia 2019. Cancer series no. 119. Cat. no. CAN 123. Canberra: AIHW
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australasian Association of Cancer Registries 2014. Cancer in Australia: in brief 2014. Cancer series no. 91. Cat. no. CAN 89. Canberra: AIHW
Cancer Council Australia. National Cancer Prevention Policy. Last updated 15 April 2015. Available from: http://www.cancer.org.au/policy-and-advocacy/prevention-policy/national-cancer-prevention-policy.html Accessed: 6 Jan 2017

Notes:

To protect confidentiality the following data have been suppressed:

all data where there are fewer than five events in an area
rates/ratios where there are from five to nine events in an area, though the number itself is shown
data for the indicator, All other cancer incidence, where this could consequentially reveal other suppressed data

These data exclude all cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin.

Details of data presented

Separate data are presented for the following cancers:

1. Males:

Prostate cancer incidence
Colorectal cancer incidence
Melanoma of the skin incidence
Lung cancer incidence
Head and neck cancer incidence
Lymphoma cancer incidence
Leukaemia cancer incidence
Bladder cancer incidence
Kidney cancer incidence
Pancreatic cancer incidence
Stomach cancer incidence
All other cancer incidence
All cancer incidence

2. Females:

Breast cancer incidence
Colorectal cancer incidence
Melanoma of the skin incidence
Lung cancer incidence
Uterine cancer incidence
Lymphoma cancer incidence
Thyroid cancer incidence
Leukaemia cancer incidence
Ovarian cancer incidence
Pancreatic cancer incidence
All other cancer incidence
All cancer incidence

3. Persons:

Colorectal cancer incidence
Melanoma of the skin incidence
Lung cancer incidence
Lymphoma cancer incidence
Leukaemia cancer incidence
Pancreatic cancer incidence
All other cancer incidence
All cancer incidence

Additional data about these and other cancers are available from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-in-australia-2019/contents/table-of-contents

Geography: Data available by Population Health Area, Local Government Area, Primary Health Network, Quintile of socioeconomic disadvantage of area and Quintiles within PHNs, and Remoteness Area

Numerator: Number of new cases of cancer, by type, among male / female / total population

Denominator: Male / female / persons

Detail of analysis: Indirectly age-standardised rate per 100,000 population; and/or indirectly age-standardised ratio, based on the Australian standard

Source: Compiled by PHIDU from an analysis by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) of the Australian Cancer Database (ACD) 2021. The ACD is compiled at the AIHW from cancer data provided by state and territory cancer registries, who provided permission for the release of the data: for further information on the ACD see https://www.aihw.gov.au/about-our-data/our-data-collections/australian-cancer-database