Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Oct;39(5):477-84.
doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.12471.

Cancers in Australia in 2010 attributable to modifiable factors: summary and conclusions

David C Whiteman  1   2 , Penelope M Webb  1   2 , Adele C Green  1   2   3 , Rachel E Neale  1   2 , Lin Fritschi  4 , Christopher J Bain  1   5 , D Max Parkin  6 , Louise F Wilson  1 , Catherine M Olsen  1   2 , Christina M Nagle  1   2 , Nirmala Pandeya  1   2 , Susan J Jordan  1   2 , Annika Antonsson  1 , Bradley J Kendall  1   7 , Maria Celia B Hughes  1 , Torukiri I Ibiebele  1 , Kyoko Miura  1 , Susan Peters  8 , Renee N Carey  4
Affiliations

Cancers in Australia in 2010 attributable to modifiable factors: summary and conclusions

David C Whiteman et al. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2015 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the numbers and proportions of cancers occurring in Australia in 2010 attributable to modifiable causal factors.

Methods: We estimated the population attributable fraction (PAF) of cancers associated with exposure to 13 causal factors using standard formulae incorporating exposure prevalence and relative risk data. We also calculated the potential impact of changing exposure to some factors.

Results: A total of 32% of all cancers diagnosed in Australia in 2010 (excluding keratinocyte cancers) were attributable to the 13 factors assessed (men 33%; women 31%). Leading factors were tobacco smoke (PAF all cancers: 13.4%), solar radiation (6.2%), inadequate diet (6.1%) and overweight/obesity (3.4%). Factors conferring highest PAFs differed by sex: highest PAFs for men were tobacco smoke (15.8%), solar radiation (7.1%) and alcohol (3.0%); while highest PAFs for women were tobacco smoke (10.1%), solar radiation (5.0%) and overweight/obesity (4.5%). Sites with the highest counts of potentially preventable cancers were lung (8,569), colorectal (7,404), melanoma of the skin (7,220) and breast (3,233).

Conclusions: At least one in three cancers in Australia is attributable to exposure to known modifiable factors.

Implications: Up to 37,000 cancers could be prevented in Australia each year if the population avoided exposure to 13 common factors known or strongly suspected to cause cancer.

Keywords: cancer; population attributable fraction; potential impact fraction; prevented fraction; risk factor.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number and percentage of cancer cases diagnosed in Australia in 2010 attributable to select lifestyle and environmental exposures. Abbreviations: MHT – menopausal hormone therapy; OCPs – combined oral contraceptive pills.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Combined PAF for cancers associated with one or more modifiable exposures.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The ten cancer sites with highest incidence in Australia in 2010: total number of cases and fraction attributable to modifiable factors for A. Males and B. Females.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Cancer Data. Pivot Table [Internet] Canberra (AUST): AIHW; 2015. [cited 2014 Jun 23]. Available from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/cancer-data/
    1. Whiteman DC, Webb PM, Green AC, Neale RE, Fritschi L, Bain CJ, et al. Cancers in Australia in 2010 attributable to modifiable factors: introduction and overview. Aust NZ J Public Health. 2015;39:403–7. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Antonsson A, Wilson LF, Kendall BJ, Bain CJ, Whiteman DC, Neale RE. Cancers in Australia in 2010 attributable to infectious agents. Aust NZ J Public Health. 2015;39:446–51. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Jordan SJ, Wilson LF, Nagle CM, Green AC, Olsen CM, Bain CJ, et al. Cancers in Australia in 2010 attributable to and prevented by the use of menopausal hormone therapy. Aust NZ J Public Health. 2015;39:434–40. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Jordan SJ, Wilson LF, Nagle CM, Green ACCM, Bain CJ, et al. Cancers in Australia in 2010 attributable to total breastfeeding durations of 12 months or less by parous women. Aust NZ J Public Health. 2015;39:418–21. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources