Cancer

Cancer is a major cause of illness in Australia [1]. For Australian men, the most commonly diagnosed cancers are prostate cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer and leukaemia, among others.

According to Cancer Council [2], it was estimated that in 2020 approximately 77,000 new cases of cancer would be diagnosed in Australian men, with one in two men being diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85. The most common types of cancer found in men are skin cancer, prostate cancer, bowel cancer, lung cancer, testicular cancer, and head and neck cancer [2].

There are a range of cancers that affect Australian men, each with their own modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Some of the common risk factors that relate to types of cancer include behavioural risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol use, poor diet and overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun; and biomedical risk factors such as ageing, a family history of cancer and overweight or obesity [3] [4].

Follow the link for a guide by the Cancer Council to reduce your risk of developing cancer: https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Men-and-Cancer.pdf

SUPPORT SERVICES:

Cancer Council PH: 13 11 20

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Cancer in Australia 2021 Report
• Movember Foundation Prostate Cancer Impact Report