That was the message delivered by Professor Ian Frazer last Thursday at the StGeorge Hospital Symposium.

Professor Frazer, the 2006 Australian of the Year and developer of the human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil, was not being woeful about the nation's health.

He said the increasing rate of cancer deaths meant we were living longer, as cancer is generally a disease of the old and that about 70 percent of cases could be cured.

He spoke to health professionals gathered to hear lectures about research and clinical findings from the medical industry about cancer control in the 21st century, and the role of immunologists in preventing the disease.

``We can prevent about 70 percent of cancer, with the knowledge that we currently have, if we just used it,'' Professor Frazer said.

Smoking, sun exposure, avoiding alcohol, and avoiding obesity were the main ``obvious'' preventatives people could control.

``We could get rid of half of cancers tomorrow if everybody did the right thing,'' he said.

Professor Frazer said hepatitis B and HPV were the major infections responsible for about 10 percent of all cancer incidents.

``If we can get rid of 50 percent [of cancers] by what people do and 10 percent by vaccinations, you should be doing the 50 percent and concentrating on that,'' he said.

He predicted antibody therapies were going to become a routine part of cancer treatment, as he explored tumour immunotherapy, and the idea of using immunotherapy vaccines to treat women who already have HPV.

Prof Frazer's lecture generated many questions from various health care professionals, including why three Gardasil injections were necessary, and if men, as carriers, could receive the vaccine.

He said three injections ensured as many antibodies as possible would grow, highlighting the importance for women to receive the whole course.

He said men were an important part of spreading HPV, and joked that he would make sure his sons received the vaccine as soon as possible.