Cancer
A brief overview of the definition and prevalence of cancer, with links to additional information about cancer statistics, control, programs and publications.
Cancer is a complex set of diseases with many different possible tumour sites. Cancer usually presents as a solid growth or tumour, which may spread from the primary site to involve distant organs. A minority of cancers result from the inheritance of a damaged gene. Most deaths from cancer result from the disease spreading to vital organs like the lungs, liver and brain.
Cancer is potentially one of the most preventable and treatable of all diseases. Almost one-third of all cancers may be avoidable, with more than a quarter attributable to just three risk factors: smoking, excessive alcohol intake and obesity. Other risk factors are poor diet, insufficient physical activity, infectious diseases and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The risk of many cancers can be modified by individual lifestyle changes.
Due to the high burden cancer poses on the Australian community, it was announced as a National Health Priority Area (NHPA) in 1996, with the focus on eight priority cancers:
- lung cancer
- colorectal cancer
- melanoma
- non-melanocytic skin cancer
- prostate cancer
- breast cancer
- cervical cancer
- non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Control
Programs
Publications
Links
Page last reviewed: 7 April 2010
- Regional Cancer Centres - an initiative to establish a network of best practice regional cancer centres to help improve access and support for cancer patients in rural and regional Australia.