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 per year | 5-year excess deaths % | ||||
| Male | Female | Person | Male | Female | Person | ||
| All malignant cancer (C00–C97, D45, D46, D47.1, D47.3–D47.5) | All malignant cancers combined | ||||||
| Prostate cancer (C61) | Prostate gland | ||||||
| Breast cancer (female only) (C50) | Breast (excluding skin) | ||||||
| Bowel cancer (Colorectal cancer) (C18-C20) | Inner lining of the large bowel (colon) or rectum. Also known as colorectal cancer | ||||||
| Melanoma of the skin (C43) | Melanocytes (pigmented cells) of the skin. Excludes non-melanoma skin cancers | ||||||
| Lung cancer (C33- C34) | Lung, trachea, bronchus | ||||||
| Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (C82-C86) | Lymphatic system | ||||||
| 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]. | ||||||
| Leukaemia (C91-C95) | White blood cells of the bone marrow | ||||||
| Kidney cancer (C64) | Kidney. Except renal pelvis | ||||||
| Pancreatic cancer (C25) | Pancreas | ||||||
| Thyroid cancer (C73) | Thyroid gland | ||||||
| Uterine cancer (C54-C55) | Lining of the uterus, the muscle tissue (myometrium) or the connective tissue supporting the endometrium | ||||||
| Stomach cancer (C16) | Lining of the upper part of the stomach | ||||||
| Liver cancer (C22) | Liver and intrahepatic bile ducts | ||||||
| Myeloma (C90) | Plasma cells of the bone marrow. Multiple myeloma is a subset | ||||||
| Brain cancer (C71) | Brain. Excluding cranial nerves and retrobulbar tissue | ||||||
| Oesophageal cancer (C15) | Oesophagus | ||||||
| Ovarian cancer (C56) | Ovaries | ||||||
| Cervical cancer (C53) | Lining of the cervix | ||||||
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 respective years of diagnosis (2005-2014 or 2010-2014) and years at risk (2006-2014 or 2010-2014). Data provided by the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare extracted from the Australian Cancer Database.