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New findings about the number of young Australians being diagnosed with cancer have been released, with one charity raising concerns about the increasing rate of bowel cancer.
Cancer-related deaths among Australian adolescents and young adults have more than halved over the past few decades, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The AIHW number of young Australians aged 15 to 24 declined from 62 to 29 deaths per million population, between 1981–1985 and 2016–2020 [page 18].
Among this age group, cancer is responsible for 8% of deaths [Page 20], second to deaths from injury (74%).
Bowel cancer rates “alarming”
In commenting on the report for InSight+, CanTeen Australia CEO Peter Orchard said that the rates of some cancers had increased.
“Although on the surface the report shows that the overall survival rates for young people have increased to 90%, it’s concerning that hiding behind this figure are increases above 200% across several other cancers,” Mr Orchard said.
“Bowel cancer for instance is not thought to be a common cancer for young people but rates have increased by an alarming 370% [Page 56].
“This increase could be associated with many factors such as lifestyle, diet or delayed diagnosis, but without sufficient funding to research these possibilities there is little that can be done to begin reducing the number of young people diagnosed.”
Call for more research
“While the percentage of young people diagnosed with melanoma and cervical cancer has more than halved, the combined 50% rise in rates of all other cancers in young people from 1984–1988 to 2014–2018 is very concerning,” Mr Orchard said.
“We don’t have evidence as to why these increases are happening and without adequate funding for research to find out why, we are unable to start reversing the tide.”
Mr Orchard said the establishment of a national database holding all cancer records was vital.
“While this AIHW report is the best data we have on cancer in people aged 15–24, the data is five years old at the time of being published, which isn’t good enough,” Mr Orchard said.
“We also need to see continued investment into clinical trials aimed at tackling the deadliest cancers, new research investment to understand why some cancer types are on the rise in young people and a focus on reducing the toxicity of existing treatments to improve young cancer survivors’ long term health and wellbeing.”
Mortality rates
The AIHW found mortality rates have consistently been higher for males than females; however, this gap has narrowed over time [Page 60].
“While both males and females have experienced a decrease in mortality rates since 1981–1985, the decline has been greater for males,” AIHW spokesperson Justin Harvey said.
In 2013–2017, more than half (56%) of cancer-related deaths were among males.
Bone cancer, soft-tissue sarcomas and central nervous system cancers accounted for almost half (48%) of all cancer-related deaths of people aged 15–24 between 2013 and 2017.
Most commonly diagnosed cancers
Among adolescents and young adults in 2014–2018, the three most commonly diagnosed cancers [Page 63] were Hodgkin lymphoma (13%), melanoma (12%) and testicular germ cell cancers (12%).
Although incidence rates were high, all three types of cancer had a 5-year relative survival rate of 97% or higher.
Melanoma rates have decreased from 106 to 42 cases per million between 1994–1998 and 2014–2018.
“This strong decline is likely due to prevention campaigns about sun safety behaviours and increased community awareness,” Mr. Harvey said.
Despite this decline, melanoma was still the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in adolescents and young adults in 2014–2018.
“While awareness campaigns such as Cancer Council’s SunSmart campaign have proven to be highly effective — the number of young people diagnosed with melanoma has dropped by more than half — we first need to understand the factors driving increases in some cancers before investing in awareness campaigns,” Mr Orchard said.
“Once we know more specifically what could help in the prevention or detection of bowel cancer in young people, for example, a targeted awareness campaign could play a beneficial part in reducing the diagnosis rates.”
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