Cancer Types
Cancer is a disease caused by rapid growth and uncontrollable division of abnormal cells. Visit the Cancer Council Australia website for more information about cancer. (https://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/).
Below are the specific type of cancers included in the Australian Cancer Atlas. Further information about these cancers can be found at the Cancer Council Australia website (https://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/).
| Cancer type (ICD-10 codes) | Description | Average number of diagnoses (2010-2014) | 5-year excess deaths % (2010-2014) | ||||
| Male | Female | Person | Male | Female | Person | ||
| All malignant cancer (C00–C97, D45, D46, D47.1, D47.3–D47.5) | All malignant cancers combined | 68,724 | 54,588 | 123,311 | 31% | 31% | 31% |
| Prostate cancer (C61) | Prostate gland | 19,980 | —- | 19,980 | 5% | — | 5% |
| Breast cancer (female only) (C50) | Breast (excluding skin) | —– | 15,504 | 15,504 | —- | 10% | 10% |
| Bowel cancer (Colorectal cancer) (C18-C20) | Inner lining of the large bowel (colon) or rectum. Also known as colorectal cancer | 8,147 | 6,721 | 14,868 | 30% | 27% | 29% |
| Melanoma of the skin (C43) | Melanocytes (pigmented cells) of the skin. Excludes non-melanoma skin cancers | 7196 | 5,086 | 12,282 | 11% | 7% | 9% |
| Lung cancer (C33- C34) | Lung, trachea, bronchus | 6,492 | 4,493 | 10,985 | 84% | 78% | 81% |
| Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (C82-C86) | Lymphatic system | 2,791 | 2,115 | 4,906 | 26% | 22% | 25% |
| Head and neck cancer (C00-C14, C30-C32) | Tissue or lymph nodes in the head and neck area [mouth, lip, tongue, palate, jaw, salivary glands, tonsils, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), nasal cavity, middle ear and accessory sinuses]. | 3,153 | 1,192 | 4,344 | 32% | 26% | 31% |
| Leukaemia (C91-C95) | White blood cells of the bone marrow | 1,947 | 1,307 | 3,254 | 39% | 40% | 40% |
| Kidney cancer (C64) | Kidney. Except renal pelvis | 1,983 | 1,099 | 3,083 | 24% | 24% | 24% |
| Pancreatic cancer (C25) | Pancreas | 1,521 | 1,421 | 2,942 | 89% | 87% | 88% |
| Thyroid cancer (C73) | Thyroid gland | 662 | 1,890 | 2,553 | 9% | 6% | 7% |
| Uterine cancer (C54-C55) | Lining of the uterus, the muscle tissue (myometrium) or the connective tissue supporting the endometrium | —- | 2,436 | 2,436 | —- | 18% | 18% |
| Stomach cancer (C16) | Lining of the upper part of the stomach | 1,357 | 701 | 2,059 | 70% | 64% | 68% |
| Liver cancer (C22) | Liver and intrahepatic bile ducts | 1,268 | 470 | 1,737 | 82% | 82% | 82% |
| Myeloma (C90) | Plasma cells of the bone marrow. Multiple myeloma is a subset | 967 | 711 | 1,678 | 46% | 45% | 46% |
| Brain cancer (C71) | Brain. Excluding cranial nerves and retrobulbar tissue | 917 | 651 | 1,567 | 85% | 83% | 84% |
| Oesophageal cancer (C15) | Oesophagus | 999 | 417 | 1,415 | 78% | 72% | 77% |
| Ovarian cancer (C56) | Ovaries | —- | 1,358 | 1,358 | —- | 57% | 57% |
| Cervical cancer (C53) | Lining of the cervix | —- | 833 | 833 | —- | 42% | 42% |
Download the PDF: NationalCancerAtlas-Cancer-Types
Footnotes:
The average number of diagnoses and the 5-year excess deaths calculated for males, females and persons (males + females) are based on the data provided by the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare extracted from the Australian Cancer Database.