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Cancer Survival for Far North Coast

All statistics are taken from the Cancer survival, incidence and mortality by Area Health Service in NSW 1994 to 2000 Report released by The Cancer Council NSW.

The highest and lowest relative survival rates for the most common cancers. (Relative survival takes into account the general death rate for that area. So, for example, survival of Colon cancer patients in Northern Rivers was 67 per cent of that for similar people in that area.)

• Colon cancer - 67% in the Northern Rivers and 52% in Mid-Western
• Lung cancer - 17% in Wentworth and 9% in Mid-Western (Northern Rivers 15%)
• Melanoma - 93% in Hunter and Mid-North Coast and 87% in Southern (Northern Rivers 92%)
• Female breast cancer - 88% in Northern Sydney and 80% in Macquarie (Northern Rivers 85%)
• Prostate cancer - 89% in Central Coast and 76% in Macquarie (Northern Rivers 80%)

• All cancers: lower risk in Central Sydney (4% under the State average), Northern Sydney (12% under the State average), South Eastern Sydney (9% under the State average) and Northern Rivers (5% under the State average); and higher risk in Western Sydney (6% over the State average), Wentworth (11% over the State average), New England (7% over the State average), Macquarie (9% over the State average), Mid Western (12% over the State average) and Southern (6% over the State average)
  
  
• Lung cancer: lower risk in Northern Sydney (8% under State average), South Eastern Sydney (9% under the State average) and Northern Rivers (7% under the State average); and higher risk in the Hunter (9% over the State average)
  
  
• Colon cancer: lower risk in Northern Sydney (11% under the State average); and higher risk in Western Sydney (14% over the State average) and Mid Western (19% over the State average)
  
  
• Female breast cancer: lower risk in Northern Sydney (17% under the State average) and South Eastern Sydney (13% under the State average)
  
  
• Prostate cancer: lower risk in Central Coast (15% under the State average); and higher risk in Wentworth (43% over the State average), South Western Sydney (20% over the State average), Northern Rivers (21% over the State average) and Macquarie (32% over the State average)
  
  
• Melanoma: higher risk in Central Sydney (35% over the State average) and South Western Sydney (30% over the State average)
  
  
• Liver cancer: lower risk in South Eastern Sydney (21% under the State average); and higher risk in the Mid North Coast (33% over the State average)
  
  
• Ovarian cancer: lower risk in South Eastern Sydney (17% under the State average)
  
  
• Leukaemia: lower risk in Northern Sydney (12% under the State average) and the Hunter (13% under the State average)
  

Note that the higher or lower relative risks quoted represent different numbers of cases according to the size of the Area Health Service.

If average cancer survival reached that of the areas with the highest current levels, the numbers of additional patients who may survive at least five years after diagnosis would be:

• 2903 (6.4%) additional survivors from all cancers combined with the largest gains being in Northern Sydney, South Western Sydney and South Eastern Sydney.
• 791 (7.4%) additional survivors from lung cancer with the largest gains being in Northern Sydney, Hunter, South Western Sydney and South Eastern Sydney.
• 296 (6.9%) additional survivors from colon cancer with the largest gains being in Northern Sydney, South Eastern Sydney and Hunter.
• 249 (12.8%) additional survivors from leukaemia with the largest gains being in Northern Sydney and South Eastern Sydney.
• 228 (8.9%) additional survivors from prostate cancer with the largest gains being in Northern Sydney, South Eastern Sydney and South Western Sydney.
  
  

For information and counselling call the Cancer Helpline on 13 11 20 for the cost of a local call.