A cancer survey over 20-years in Western Australia has found more people than ever are being diagnosed, and surviving, the disease creating significant challenges for the health system.
A Cancer Council study of diagnoses in WA between 1992 and 2011 found rates of cancer had increased by 250 per cent with 87,000 people in the state now being treated for or recovering from cancer.
Terry Slevin, director of Education and Research at the WA Cancer Council, told 720 ABC Perth some of the increase could be attributed to an aging population, broader cancer screening and reduction in other causes of death, like road accidents.
“There’s an increased number of people being diagnosed with cancer each year,” he said.
“As that accumulates over time, then the number of people who are alive today who have at some time in the past have had a cancer diagnosis, is also increasing to quite a substantial extent.”
The most common forms are prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women, followed by colorectal cancers.
The most deadly cancer is lung cancer.
“That’s the one we’re still doing poorly with in terms of treatment and management,” Mr Slevin said.
“Lung cancer is by far and away the single biggest taker of lives from cancer.”
Cancer workforce under pressure
Mr Slevin said the research showed the pressure on cancer treatment services as more patients are diagnosed and require care for years afterwards.
“As we have more people now who had a cancer diagnosis five to 10 years ago, we are learning more about what that means in terms of their demand for services in relation to that cancer,” he said.
“It’s a new phenomenon that we are wrestling with, but these numbers set out pretty starkly that it is something we are going to have to take more seriously and plan in better way for.
“Those trends aren’t likely to reverse anytime soon.”
Mr Slevin said the state’s cancer services were already having difficulty keeping up with demand.
“The truth is that that we don’t have enough specialist cancer doctors in Western Australia to deal with the load as it exists now, particularly in the public system.”
He said the council is pushing for 23 more cancer specialist jobs to be created in WA over four years, and 12 positions for doctors to train as cancer specialists.
“We are not naive when it comes to health care costs,” he said.
“As the Cancer Council we have no choice but to point out this increase and we really do need to make decisions about resource allocation.
“As we get older, the likelihood of us or a family member having to wrestle with cancer substantially increases.
“We have to think about whether we want to make sure we have the best possible services.”
Treatment more successful but more complex
Perth breast cancer surgeon Professor Christobel Saunders says although survival rates have doubled in the last 20 years, caring for patients had become more complex.
“For most women with breast cancer, they will survive [and] that is a great thing to be able to say to people,” Professor Saunders said.
“But that means the treatments are getting a lot more complex and more expensive.
“That’s going to be a very difficult balance into the future.”
She said that even after recovery, patients face great difficulties becoming fit and well again.
“It’s great that more people are recovering from their cancers but they are left with a lot of problems from side effects from their cancer and their treatment.”