A new report from the Tasmanian Cancer Registry (TCR), commissioned by Cancer Council Tasmania, predicts a significant 30% increase in cancer diagnoses across the state over the next decade.
By 2032, an estimated 15 Tasmanians will receive a cancer diagnosis every day, up from 11 daily in 2022.
Alison Lai, CEO of Cancer Council Tasmania, has highlighted the severity of the forecast which projects annual diagnoses to rise from 4,094 in 2022 to 5,328 by 2032.
This increase will place an additional burden on oncology services, with an estimated 1,100 more Tasmanians seeking treatment annually.
Prostate cancer is expected to remain the most common diagnosis, with a substantial projected increase by 2032. Melanoma is also predicted to rise significantly, moving into second place ahead of breast and bowel cancers.
The TCR report, forecasts that by 2032 prostate cancer will increase steadily and remain the number one cancer of concern (2314), with
melanoma pushing into second place (581) ahead of breast (568), bowel (549) and lung (406) cancer.
The projected rise is attributed to Tasmania’s ageing population, healthcare accessibility issues and prevalent modifiable risk factors such as tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, UV exposure, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.
Lai has stressed the urgent need for investment in cancer prevention and she is calling on all political parties to commit to increasing funding for Cancer Council Tasmania.
“A proactive response is going to be essential, and the prioritisation of investment into cancer prevention, early detection and screening, is going to be critical to improve cancer outcomes by ensuring Tasmanians understand how to reduce their cancer risk and increasing cancer symptom awareness to find cancer early,” said Lai.
“Almost half of our cancer burden is attributable to modifiable risk factors and people are more likely to survive cancer if it’s found early,” she said, urging a minimum of 5% of the health budget to be allocated to preventative health initiatives.
The data presented by Cancer Council Tasmania paints a clear picture of the challenge ahead.
Without significant and immediate action, Tasmania faces a growing cancer burden that will place immense strain on its health services and have a profound impact on the lives of Tasmanians.
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