According to the latest information cancer is on the increase in Australia.
In a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on cancer statistics for 2008 new cancer cases are expected to increase by over 3,000 cases per year.
The report shows that the number of new cancer cases diagnosed in Australia each year passed the 100,000 mark for the first time in 2005 and the number of new cases in 2008 is estimated to be over 108,000.
The report, Cancer in Australia 2008, has revealed that the major impact cancer has already had on the health system is all set to continue and the number of cancer-related hospital admissions is projected to rise by over 23,000 per year in the short term.
Ms Christine Sturrock of the Institute's Health Registers and Cancer Monitoring Unit says this figure does not include cancer being treated in outpatient settings.
According to the report there will be over 42,000 deaths from cancer in 2008 and that this number will increase by over 800 deaths per year.
Ms Sturrock says the increase in the number of cancer diagnoses, hospital encounters and cancer deaths is being driven by Australia's ageing population and although the actual number of cancer deaths has increased, there has also been a significant increase in cancer survival over the last 20 years and more people are living longer after being diagnosed with cancer.
In 2005 the most common cancer in females was breast cancer (over 27% of all diagnoses) and in males it was prostate cancer, (29% of all diagnoses) and the second most common cancer in both men and women is bowel cancer.