100,000 a year given the bad news by local GPs
In the past decade almost one million Australians were told by their doctor they had a cancer issue and needed urgent treatment.
In years past that diagnosis would have meant they had a major chance of dying.
Now with modern cancer treatments it is far from the case and while early diagnosis is a key factor they can confidently look forward to beating the Big C.
In 2000, there were around 88,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in Australia.
By 2026, it is estimated there will be around 170,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in Australia.
Cancer occurs across all ages but is more common in older ages; in 2026 an estimated 88 per cent of cancers diagnosed will occur in people aged 50 or older.
However, cancer incidence rates for the young are increasing.
Cancers strongly contributing to this rise are thyroid, breast, prostate, colorectal, and kidney cancer.
Better survival rates
The five-year survival for cancer in 1987–1991 was just 50 per cent and by 2017–2021, that rate had increased to 72 per cent.
Even with decreasing mortality rates and increasing survival, the number of deaths from cancer has been increasing.
In 2000, there were 36,000 deaths from cancer and by 2025 that number increased by 47 per cent to 53,500 people.
Prostate cancer
Last year prostate cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer for males and for Australia overall with 29,000 cases reported.
Since 2000, prostate cancer incidence rates have been more volatile than any other cancer.
If the most recent prostate cancer incidence rates were to remain and occur in future years, there would be around 35,000 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in 2035.
While the mortality rates have been decreasing, the number of deaths from prostate cancer continues to rise.
In 2000, there were 2,700 deaths from prostate cancer and it last year that figure rose to more than 4000.
Breast cancer
Around 20,000 breast cancer cases were diagnosed in females in 2025.
It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia for persons aged 20 to 39 and persons aged 40 to 59.
Breast cancer age-standardised incidence has increased from 134 cases per 100,000 females in 2000 to 140 cases per 100,000 females last year.
A large portion of this increase occurred around 2013 when breast cancer screening was expanded to include women aged 70 to 74.
Breast cancer five-year survival improved from 75 per cent in 1987–1991 to 93 per cent in 2017–2021.
Melanoma increasing
Rates for people aged 50 and over continue to rise, although there was a decrease in 2020 which is also the year where COVID restrictions were in place.
The ‘Slip Slop Slap’ skin cancer awareness and prevention campaign commenced in the early 1980s and it has been recognized for reducing the number of cancer cases for those aged under 40.
FACT BOX:
- Close to one million of Australia’s population will have been diagnosed with cancer in the last 10 years
- Cancer is becoming more commonly diagnosed in people in their 30s and 40s
- Cancer mortality rates have been decreasing for people aged in their 30s and 40s
- Cancer survival rates continue to increase
- Males remain more likely to be diagnosed with cancer
Cancer accounts for around 3 of every 10 deaths in Australia
