The increase in cancer prevalence and hospital burden in Western Australia, 1992-2011.

Susannah Maxwell,Rachael Moorin,Terry Slevin,Peter O'Leary

doi:10.1186/s12963-014-0033-x

Abstract

PurposeTo describe cancer prevalence and hospital service utilization by prevalent cancer patients in Western Australia from 1992 to 2011.MethodsThis study was a population-based cohort study using the Western Australia (WA) Cancer Registry (1982 to 2011) as the source of incident cancer cases. These data were linked to mortality (1982 to 2011) and hospital morbidity (1998 to 2011) records via the WA Data Linkage System to ascertain complete and limited-duration prevalence and cancer-related hospitalizations over time. Prevalence rates were calculated using estimated residential population data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.ResultsIn 2011, one in every 27 people living in WA had been diagnosed with cancer at some time in their lifetime, and one in 68 had been diagnosed within the previous five years. Between 1992 and 2011, complete cancer prevalence in Western Australia increased by a magnitude of 2.5-fold. Forty-five and 44% of the increase in complete cancer prevalence in males and females between 1992 and 2011 can be attributed to prostate and breast cancer, respectively. The absolute number of cancer-related bed days increased 81 and 74% in males and females, respectively, diagnosed within one year, between 1998 and 2011.ConclusionsThe prevalence of cancer and the burden it places on hospitals continues to rise, demanding ongoing efforts to prevent cancer through modifiable risk factors and better, more efficient use of health resources. Steps should to be taken to understand and address overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

Highlights

Cancer is the leading cause of burden of disease in Australia as measured by mortality and disability [1] and the sixth-most expensive chronic disease, with cancer diagnosis, treatment, and care accounting for 7% of total health system expenditure [2]
Between 1992 and 2011, complete cancer prevalence increased by 29,985 males and by 23,953 females, representing a 2.5-fold increase in the estimated absolute number of surviving individuals who had ever been diagnosed with cancer in Western Australia (WA) (Figure 1)
Cancer prevalence In 2011, 37.6 per 1,000 males and 36.5 per 1,000 females living in WA had a history of cancer, and 16.4 and 12.8 had been diagnosed within the previous five years (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Cancer is the leading cause of burden of disease in Australia as measured by mortality and disability [1] and the sixth-most expensive chronic disease, with cancer diagnosis, treatment, and care accounting for 7% of total health system expenditure [2]. Cancer diagnoses are reported to the State Cancer Registry in Western Australia (WA), which provides annual population-based incidence and cancer-related mortality statistics [10]. In this paper we directly estimate and describe trends in the size and composition of the cancer-prevalent population by cancer type and time since diagnosis between 1992 and 2011, as well as hospitalization trends of prevalent cases between 1998 and 2011. These data will allow health services to better allocate their resources and tailor activities to meet the needs of this population

Methods

Results

Conclusion