Cancer on the rise in Australia

A report by the Cancer Council, released ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4, shows there will be nearly two million Aussies who have been diagnosed with cancer by 2040, with more than half aged 70 and over.

Experts say the country's growing and ageing population, as well as increasing cancer survival rates thanks to better prevention and early detection, means numbers of Australians with a history of cancer will grow from 1 in 22 to 1 in 18 in the next 22 years - to almost 1.9 million.

Cancer Council Australia chief executive Sanchia Aranda said while survival rates are improving, the figures highlight unique challenges for cancer control, management and support services in the future.

"While the majority (64 per cent) of the 1.9 million Australians who have been diagnosed with cancer by 2040 will have lived more than five years beyond diagnosis, a substantial proportion will have been recently diagnosed and will be undergoing treatment, and others may be living with advanced cancer," Professor Aranda said.

The research shows there will be more men (53 per cent) living with or beyond cancer than women, and that more than half (58 per cent) of people who have been diagnosed with cancer in 2040 will be aged 70 years or older.

Professor Aranda said the new figures highlighted the increasing need for support services for people affected by cancer, particularly for older Australians.

Cancer Council Victoria's head of epidemiology Associate Professor Roger Milne said prostate, breast, bowel and melanoma were the common cancer types that would contribute the most to the increasing number of people who have a personal history of cancer.

He said investment in prevention programs "must remain a priority as one in three cancers are preventable and significant improvements in survival can be achieved by increasing participation in national screening programs, particularly bowel screening".