21/10/2025
I’ve been a bit quiet on social media over the last couple of months as I juggle mum-life with my return to the clinic and the final stages of my PhD.
For those of you have been following along over the last 10 years (!!!), I’ve just got the Discussion chapter to write and then the editing of my thesis starts! I can see the light! If you’ve only recently started following me, my PhD is looking at how being a cancer caregiver impacts dietary behaviours in caregivers. I designed a holistic health-coaching intervention to support cancer caregivers look after themselves while in the caregiving role. I can’t wait to share more of these results once published - I’m so proud of my intervention and what it’s been able to achieve, but today I’m trying to get through a 351 page report detailing cancer rates, projections, risk factors etc for Australians, and another 54 page report recently released by the Australian Government on the National Carer Strategy for the next 10 years.
While I’ve got a few things to say about this ;) I’ll save that for my discussion chapter, but I did just want to leave some of the most recent stats here…and also say that many cancers have modifiable risk factors - Nutrition, exercise, toxin exposure, smoking, stress management, early detection and screening just to name a few. And yes, before you jump on me, I know some cancers have genetic components to them, but we also know that just because you have the gene, it doesn’t always mean it’s going to be expressed.
Some of the Stats:
- By the end of 2025, around 969 000 people will be living with cancer. In 2000, this number was 410 000.
- In 2025, approximately 162 000 Australians will be told they have cancer. In 2000, this number was 88 000.
- Cancer rates in people who are in their 30s and 40s has increased from 2000. For those in their 30’s, rates have increased from 121 per 100 000 people to 135 per 100 000. For those in their 40’s, the increase is from 280 to 313 per 100 000.
- While cancer rates are up, mortality rates are generally down, and the 5 year survival rate is now at 72%, compared to 50% in the years 1987-1991.
(Continued in comments)