Cancer data improves for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are improving, according to new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data, but the RACGP continues to call for ‘holistic, strengths-based, life course approaches’.
 
The AIHW’s Cancer data in Australia report reveals that between 2011 and 2025, the cancer incidence rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people decreased from 342 cases per 100,000 people to an estimated 315 cases, after adjusting for differences in age over time.
 
The mortality rate also decreased from 148 to 105 deaths per 100,000 people across the same period. 
 
Cancer mortality rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have also decreased at greater rates than for non-Indigenous Australians. 
 
However, the data also shows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain more likely to be diagnosed with cancers that have lower survival rates, such as lung and liver cancer.
 
‘First Nations people are twice as likely as non-Indigenous Australians to be diagnosed with cancers that have a lower chance of survival,’ said AIHW spokesperson Justin Harvey.
 
In 2025, there were an estimated 3600 cancer cases and 1200 cancer deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – lung cancer is the most diagnosed, followed by prostate, breast, bowel and melanoma of the skin.
 
Lung cancer is also the leading cause of cancer death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, accounting for an estimated 26% of all cancer deaths.
 
Less common cancers are also more prevalent in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the data found. In 2025, 30% of cancers diagnosed were rare or less common cancers, compared to about 25% in non-Indigenous Australians.
 
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are also affected disproportionately by cervical cancer.
 
While cervical cancer is the 20th most common cancer-causing death with the overall Australian female population, it is estimated to be the seventh most common cancer-causing death in  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
 
According to the RACGP’s National guide to preventive healthcare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the impact of cancer highlights the ‘stark inequities that exist within Australia’.
 
It says there are still ‘systemic barriers’ to effective preventive and health promotion initiatives, as well as access to high-quality and timely care, including screening, early diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.
 
‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are best placed to identify priorities and lead community actions to prevent and manage cancer,’ the National Guide says.
 
‘Holistic, strengths-based, life course approaches that address the full spectrum of cancer care and control are needed.
 
‘Trauma-informed approaches to care that acknowledge the fear, stigma and complexity associated with cancer prevention and care are essential to promoting the social, cultural, economic and emotional wellbeing of those living with and affected by cancer.’
 
Mr Harvey describes the AIHW findings as ‘the most comprehensive cancer data available for First Nations people to date’.
 
‘With a more complete picture of cancer outcomes, alongside more detailed information about geography and socioeconomic status, it becomes possible to identify where disparities are greatest and where targeted action can make the biggest difference,’ he said. 
 
The report notes that until now, cancer reports on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ‘often lack detailed information like age breakdowns, time series, and coverage of many cancer types that is important to support appropriate service planning, policy development and research priorities’.
 
‘This new data provides essential new insights into cancer among First Nations people at an unprecedented depth,’ it said.
 
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health AIHW burden of disease cancer cervical cancer health inequity liver cancer lung cancer rare cancer