One in two men in New Zealand, Australian men at risk for cancer – highest rate in the world

Louie Douvis

It is estimated that almost half of New Zealand men and one third of women are likely to have cancer before the age of 75.

In New Zealand and Australia, nearly one in two men is at risk for some form of cancer – the highest regional rate in the world, according to estimates by the International Agency for Research on Cancer ( IARC) of the World Health Organization.

IARC has just released its Globocan 2018 database, which includes information on cancer rates around the world. Globally, it is estimated that there will be 18.1 million new cases of cancer in 2018, with 9.6 million deaths.

The total number of people living within five years of a cancer diagnosis, known as five-year prevalence, is estimated at 43.8 million.

For New Zealand, the IARC estimates that there will be 35,897 new cases of cancer by 2018. He estimates that for men, the risk of developing cancer before the age of 75 is 46 27%. One third of New Zealand women – 32.89% – are at risk of contracting cancer.

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Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer, accounting for 31% of cases (10,741) in 2018 and 1.85% (167) of deaths.

Lung cancer is the most deadly cancer in New Zealand, with about 1758 deaths in 2018, or nearly one in five.

Prostate cancer is the second most common new cancer type, at 3822, breast cancer is third with 3504, melanoma of the fourth skin with 2718, the fifth lung with 2416 and the sixth colon with 2276.

Colon cancer represents the second highest number of cancer deaths estimated in 2018, with 839 cases, the prostate is third with 671, the fourth with 632, the fifth pancreas with 608 and the sixth skin melanoma with 460.

For men in New Zealand, the risk of dying from cancer before the age of 75 is estimated at 11.01%; for women, it is 9.3%.

In Australia and New Zealand, it is estimated that 49.06% of men will have cancer during their lifetime and 10.75% may die before the age of 75. It is estimated that 33.28% of women will have cancer and 8.07% may die of the disease.

The risk of contracting cancer among men and women is higher in the New Zealand and Australia region than in any other region in which IARC breaks into the world. Mortality rates are not among the highest.

If skin cancers other than melanoma are excluded, 32.97% of men in New Zealand and Australia are at risk of developing cancer during their lifetime. For women, this is 28.1%. Again, both are the highest regional rates.

IARC reported that the global rise in cancer rates was due to a number of factors, including the growth and aging of the population, as well as changes in the prevalence of some cancer causes related to social and economic development. .

This was particularly true in fast-growing economies, where there was evidence of cancer-related cancers and cancer-associated cancers associated with more typical lifestyles in industrialized countries.

Globocan's estimates were based on the most recent data available at IARC and on publicly available information online. They depended on the availability and accuracy of the data.

Estimates should be interpreted with caution, given the limited quality and coverage of cancer data around the world. especially in low- and middle-income countries.

– Things