Wake up call on Cancer
New data showing cancer causing “unprecedented” levels of premature mortality should be a wake up call that more needed to be done to prevent cancer, support patients and boost research, Cancer Council Australia has said.
A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found cancers were the largest contributor to years of life lost in 2010, accounting for 35% of the total, while cardiovascular diseases accounted for a further 23%.
Cancer Council Australia public policy director Paul Grogan said the main reason the data showed more people dying from cancers was that the population was living longer, with more people getting cancer in older age, partly reflecting positive improvements in the management of other diseases.
“Australia does comparatively well in cancer outcomes, but there is still plenty more we can do to prevent and treat cancer, and to care for people with cancer and their families.”
A third of cancer deaths in Australia were caused by modifiable risk factors such as smoking, and poor diet, physical inactivity and obesity, he said, with cancer care outcomes for patients varying depending on socioeconomic status, ethnicity, location and other factors.
Reproduced from Pharmacy Daily 2/2/15
