Cancer survival rates in Australia are the highest in the world

Australian cancer patient have the highest survival rate in the world, reports The Telegraph (March 9, 2013).

Compared with the rest of the world’s average of 58 deaths for every 100 new cases, Australia has 33 deaths; western Europe has 38 deaths; and North America has 62 deaths per every 100 new cases.

Breast, prostrate, and melanoma (skin) cancer patients have more than an 80% survival rate at least 10 years after diagnosis. For example, 10 years ago the survival rate for breast cancer was 64% and now it is 83%.

Early detection, new vaccines and genetic treatments push cancer survival rates up. Many of the treatments are not available in other countries. The survival rate may improve in the future as 35 new cancer medicines are currently in the testing phase. In addition, radiotherapy techniques are also improving as a method to remove tumours.

Australia will soon pilot a revolutionary approach to diagnosing and treating cancer. This involves having a sample of a person’s tumour subjected to gene sequencing to determine its molecular basis. The Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney will be able to tell, from the molecular information, whether a treatment for leukaemia (a cancer of the blood or bone marrow) can be useful in treating other cancers, such as bowel or pancreatic cancer. The DNA sample will provide information on the genome – from the information doctors will be able to determine the most effective treatment and course of drugs.

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