One in four diagnosed with cancer on the Coast die, new research reveals

Nearly 4000 Gold Coasters are diagnosed with cancer every year, with a startlingly high number of those people killed by the disease.

NEARLY 4000 Gold Coasters are diagnosed with cancer every year, and of those, a quarter don’t survive.

According to new research from Cancer Council Queensland (CCQ), 1205 people die from cancer on the Gold Coast each year.

Men are at the highest risk with 685 deaths last year, compared to 521 for women.

The figures are based on findings from the CCQ Viertel Cancer Research Centre, between 2012 and 2016.

Breast cancer remained the biggest cancer killer of Gold Coast women with an average of 500 new cases and 75 deaths every year, followed by melanoma which had nearly 250 new diagnoses and less than 50 deaths.

Melanoma was the second biggest cancer risk for Gold Coast men.

Prostate cancer was the most common cancer among Gold Coast men, spawning 600 new cases every year, leading to nearly 100 deaths.

Melanoma was the second-most diagnosed cancer among men, with nearly 350 new cases and nearly 50 deaths a year.

The third most common cancer on the Gold Coast was colorectal cancer, followed by lung cancer, which remained the biggest killer of men and women on the Gold Coast.

The statistics also showed that men had a 1 in 2.1 chance of being diagnosed with cancer by the age of 80.

For women it was 1 in 2.7

On average Gold Coast men are likely to be diagnosed at age 68, while for women it was most common at 66.

The statistics are comparable with those from other cities in Queensland and have renewed calls by CCQ for Gold Coasters to make lifestyle changes, including the way they eat and how often they exercise.

Breast cancer remained the biggest cancer killer of Gold Coast women. Picture: iStock

Chief executive Chris McMillan encouraged Gold Coasters locals to be aware of the link between unhealthy weight and 13 types of cancer.

“Research shows that just under half (40 per cent) of Australians are aware of the obesity-cancer risk link, compared to 98 to 99 per cent of Australians being aware of the obesity-diabetes/cardiovascular disease link,” she said.

“Yet, every year in Australia, about 3900 cancer cases are attributed to unhealthy weight gain.

“If you can’t commit to five hours of physical activity a week, it’s important to remember that every little bit counts. So making an effort to be more active every day can still lead to better health,” Ms McMillan said.

In Queensland, about 75 per cent of adults and 25 per cent of children are above a healthy weight.

For more information on healthy weight, visit cancerqld.org.au or phone Cancer Council on 13 11 20.