People of all ages are being urged to take advantage of cancer screening programs available in the community, if they notice changes to their health.
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Prostate cancer, breast cancer, melanoma of the skin, bowel cancer and lung cancer are projected to be the five most common cancers diagnosed this year in South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, according to new data from Cancer Institute NSW.
Acting Divisional Director of Medicine and Cancer at St George Hospital, Meredith Birch, said more than 5400 people in the district are projected to be diagnosed with some form of cancer this year.
"Reducing cancer's devastating impact on our community is a key priority"," she said. "Our cancer services are among the state's best, with our health specialists dedicated to delivering safe, world-class care to people living with and beyond cancer.
"Reducing our risk of cancer needs to be a priority and I encourage the community to speak to their GP if they're concerned about any changes to their health and if eligible, take advantage of NSW's breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening programs."
She said the COVID-19 pandemic had slowed people coming forward for screening. "It's about re-invigorating the screening process," she said. "A lot of people didn't come and it's led to a lot of delays in some people's diagnoses."
NSW Chief Cancer Officer and Chief Executive of Cancer Institute NSW Professor Tracey O'Brien said about 16,000 cases of cancer and 5000 cancer deaths could be prevented in NSW each year if people exercised more, ate healthier foods, wore sunscreen, consumed less alcohol and stopped smoking.
"Few health challenges rival the complexity and urgency of this devastating disease and as a community, we need to do everything possible to support each other to lead healthier lives and seek help if we notice any changes to our health," Professor O'Brien said.
Every 10 minutes someone in NSW is diagnosed with cancer, with one person dying from the disease every half an hour. It remains the leading cause of disease death in our state, accounting for one in three deaths.
But NSW has some of the world's best cancer outcomes, with 70 per cent of people in NSW surviving beyond five years of a cancer diagnosis.
As the state's dedicated cancer control agency, the Cancer Institute NSW is leading a united approach to reduce the burden of cancer by coordinating priorities, resources and efforts across the state. Working together with South Eastern Sydney Local Health District and more than 80 organisations across government, non-government and community, the Cancer Institute NSW is focused on reducing the impact of cancer on the people of NSW and saving more lives.
Seven in 10 people survive for five years after a cancer diagnosis. This rate was around six in 10 people 15 years ago.
Less than 40 per cent of eligible people in NSW are taking part in free bowel cancer screening. Close to 52 per cent of eligible people in NSW are taking part in free breast cancer screening. About 67 per cent of eligible people in NSW are taking part in free cervical cancer screening.
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