Play Video Childhood cancer rise
(Source: The Morning Show)
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There has been a rise in the number of Australian children diagnosed with cancer, according to data from the Australian Childhood Cancer Registry. Credit: Getty Images
There has been a rise in the number of Australian children diagnosed with cancer, according to data from the Australian Childhood Cancer Registry.
According to a report published in the Medical Journal of Australia, the overall incidence rate of childhood cancer increased by 1.2 per cent between 1983 and 2015. Watch the full story above
The overall annual cancer incidence rate is also projected to rise by a further seven per cent over the next 20 years.
By 2035, the rate of childhood cancer is predicted to reach 1,060 cases per year. More on 7NEWS.com.au
The incidence of hepatoblastoma, Burkitt lymphoma, osteosarcoma, intracranial and intraspinal embryonal tumours, and lymphoid leukaemia increased significantly - however, the incidence rate of childhood melanoma fell sharply between 1996 and 2015.
Other countries in Asia, as well as North America, have also reported similar increases in childhood cancer rates.
Researchers have been unable to pinpoint exactly why more Australian children are being diagnosed with cancer - prompting calls to investigate further.
The Queensland Cancer Council, who was part of this research, suggests that better diagnostics and reporting can account for some of the increases, but says more research needs to be done into what’s causing childhood cancers in order to better prevent and treat them. The Morning ShowHealth
