Australians with cancer are living longer but diagnosis rates on the rise for younger people, report reveals

The five-year relative survival rate for people with cancer has increased from 50% to 72% in the span of 30 years, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s health report card shows. Photograph: BongkarnThanyakij/Getty Images View image in fullscreen The five-year relative survival rate for people with cancer has increased from 50% to 72% in the span of 30 years, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s health report card shows. Photograph: BongkarnThanyakij/Getty Images Australians with cancer are living longer but diagnosis rates on the rise for younger people, report reveals Flagship health report also shows vaccine rates for children are falling, prompting concern from experts Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australians with cancer are living longer than ever, a flagship health report has revealed, but falling childhood vaccination rates and increasing rates of measles, diphtheria and whooping cough have given experts cause for concern. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) biennial report card, released on Thursday, shows the five-year relative survival rate for people with cancer has increased from 50% to 72% in 30 years. Though cancer diagnosis rates for people in their 30s and 40s grew between 2000 and 2025, death rates have declined and survival has improved for these demographics. “People diagnosed with cancer today are surviving longer than ever before, reflecting advances in diagnosis and treatment,” AIHW’s spokesperson Louise Gates said. Extreme high temperatures double young people’s risk of mental health admissions, Australian research shows Read more Nicholas Chartres, an associate professor and health researcher at the University of Sydney, said more could still be done to prevent cancer. “Once someone gets diagnosed with cancer, their quality of life after is significantly impacted both physically and psychologically,” Chartres said. “This is the main issue with this report: that we’re seeing increased life expectancy and there’s a discussion on treatment, but we’re not looking at preventative measures. “This means Australians live longer, but with poor quality of life.” Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email The report shows Australia’s population is continuing to age, and chronic conditions are now responsible for the majority of deaths and disease burden. But one-third of the nation’s disease burden could be prevented or reduced by modifying risk and environmental factors, the report finds. Chartres said the regulation of tobacco, which helped drive down smoking rates in the 2000s, could serve as a blueprint for government action in other areas. “Things like fossil fuels, chemicals, ultra-processed foods that are associated with cancers – we’re not addressing those,” he said. “[But] we can use the same suite of approaches we use with tobacco to protect us.” skip past newsletter promotion after newsletter promotion Childhood immunisation falls Experts have al