People will be able to find out for the first time what their risk of developing cancer is based on their age and gender after a ground-breaking study.
The report, which is an Australian first, reveals the risks for men and women 40 and older of the 14 most common cancers, including lung, breast, bowel and skin cancers.
The Cancer Council project is being branded the “most accurate risk assessment available”.
For example, a 65-year-old man has a 7 per cent chance of developing cancer in the next five years. That risk jumps to 17 per cent within the next decade.
Women over 50 are most at risk of developing breast cancer, followed by bowel, lung, lymphoid malignancies and uterus cancer.
The report’s author, Helen Farrugia, said the new data would help many people put their risk into perspective. This was the first time the data had been analysed in this way.
“Some people are afraid of cancer and overestimate their risk, or do so because they have a family history,” she said. “Likewise, some people might underestimate their risk due to their lifestyle choices.”
Ms Farrugia said she hoped the data did not make anyone anxious, but be seen as a useful but not definitive tool.
The age-based risk assessments is based on diagnostic results from throughout the state and are meant to be only a general guide. Ms Farrugia said people still needed to take into account individual factors such as diet, exercise and whether they smoked.
Monash University Cancer Research Program head Professor John Zalcberg said many people inquired about their cancer risk based on age, and the report helped doctors answer those questions.
“Until now we haven’t been able to calculate a person’s risk of developing cancer given their current age. This report allows us to do exactly that, helping doctors put these risks into perspective,” Professor Zalcberg said.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Victoria, with about one in three deaths caused by the disease. In 2013, almost 30,000 Victorians were diagnosed with some some form of cancer, and 11,009 died.
According to the council, the median age of men diagnosed is 68, and for women it is 66.
There have been significant advances made in cancer early detection tests and treatment, and this has increased the survival rate for almost all forms of the disease. That rate has increased from 48 per cent in 1988-92, to 67 per cent in 2008-12.
Cancer Council Victoria recommends seven ways to reduce risk of cancer: avoid smoking, wear sunscreen, eat healthily, exercise regularly, limit alcohol consumption and have any unexplained lumps or changes in moles checked by a doctor.
The ability to calculate risk based on age would help people make healthier lifestyle choices, council chief executive Todd Harper? said.
“Leading a healthy lifestyle can’t guarantee someone won’t get cancer but we can certainly stack the odds in our favour by avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, being sun smart, staying active and maintaining a healthy weight as all those steps help decrease cancer risk.”