Cancer is a range of diseases of cell replication that cause significant burdens of ill health, economic costs and mortality to the Australian community.
What is cancer?
Cancer is a diverse range of diseases in which groups of cells grow uncontrolled, invade and damage adjacent tissues and sometimes spread to other parts of the body, causing further damage (metastasis). Most cancers give rise to tumours but some, such as leukaemia, do not.
Cancers are caused by mutations in the cancer cells' genetic material. These can be caused by environmental factors such as tobacco smoking, radiation, chemicals and substances like asbestos, and infectious agents such as viruses. Some cancers occur because of inherited genetic faults, others by randomly acquired errors in DNA replication.
The burden of cancer in Australia
According to the Cancer Council of Australia: [1]
- An estimated 106,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in Australia each year.
- 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85.
- Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia – more than 39,000 people are estimated to die from cancer each year.
- More than 60% of cancer patients will survive more than five years after diagnosis.
- The survival rate for many common cancers has increased by more than 30 per cent in the past two decades.
- The most common cancers in Australia (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) are prostate, colorectal (bowel), breast, melanoma and lung cancer.
- About 374,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer (the most frequently occurring cancer in Australia, but the least life-threatening) are also diagnosed each year.
- Cancer costs $2.7 billion in direct health system costs (5.7%).
- $215 million was spent on cancer research in 2000-01, 18% of all health research expenditure in Australia.
In 2003 cancer was responsible for 19% of the total burden of disease and injury in Australia, with lung, colon, breast and prostate cancers accounting for half of this burden. Other than the sex specific cancers (breast and gynaecological cancers in females and prostate cancer in males), men generally have a greater share of the burden from colon and lung cancer.
Cancer as a National Health Priority Area (NHPA)
In 1996, Australian Health Ministers announced cancer as a National Health Priority Area in recognition of the significant burden that cancer places on the Australian community in terms of health, social, economic and emotional costs.
NHMRC funding into cancer research
NHMRC is the largest funder of cancer research in Australia. We provided more than $175 million in 2011.
Cancer research is the largest single investment by NHMRC with funding allocated to all categories, including genomics. We support cancer research on the basis of quality of the research, with peer review of all grant applications.
NHMRC funds research into all forms of cancer. From 2000-2011, we provided $143 million for breast cancer, $82 million for prostate cancer and $36 million for cancer vaccines.
We have dedicated particular efforts on lung cancer for mesothelioma, including a recent grant of $4.5 million to the National Centre for Asbestos-Related Diseases (NCARD) in WA, and a Bernie Banton Fellowship in lung cancer. NHMRC has also provided a grant of $25 million to the University of Queensland’s Institute of Molecular Bioscience for pancreatic and ovarian cancer research.
International Collaborations
Combatting cancer requires an international research effort with Australia funding 3% of world medical research. NHMRC works closely with its international partners and is a foundation member of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC). This cooperative effort by over 20 countries will identify the fundamental causes of the world’s 50 most common cancers.
Through the ICGC, NHMRC has invested $27.9 million in pancreatic and ovarian cancer research over 5 years (2009-2013).
In 2011, the Australian consortium had achieved:
- Consents 140 pancreatic cancer and 60 ovarian cancer donors
- Completed exome sequencing on 97 cancer and 4 ovarian donors
- Completed whole genome sequencing for 27 cancer and 6 ovarian donors.
NHMRC is also engaged with a consortium of countries (both advanced industrial and emerging economies) on international approaches to prevention research in cancer.
NHMRC funding is focussed on cancerous cells
Traditionally, cancer research has been identified, and funded in terms of human organs. This approach is not so relevant to the way that medical researchers tackle cancer in the 21st century.
Instead, cancer research is increasingly bringing specific, tailoring therapies to afflicted people. This approach opens up opportunities for smaller cancer charities to work more closely together.
Smaller cancer charities are also encouraged to follow Cancer Australia and the Cancer Councils’ lead by using NHMRC processes to identify the best research, while reducing their administrative overheads.
References
- Cancer Council Australia - Facts and figures (data compiled by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australian Association of Cancer Registries)
The information on this page should not be used for individual medical advice. Please see your doctor if you have concerns or specific questions relating to your health