HAWKESBURY has the highest incident rate of bowel cancer and the fourth-highest incident rate for melanoma in the Sydney region, official projections show.
The data, compiled by Cancer Institute NSW, predicted the number of new bowel, breast, lung cancer and melanoma patients who will be diagnosed across every Sydney local government area (LGA) this year.
The highest rate for bowel cancer was in the Hawkesbury, followed by Penrith, Bayside, Georges River and Camden. Blue Mountains had one of the lowest incidences.
While the biggest risk factor for bowel cancer is age, lifestyle factors also raise a person’s risk, according to Cancer Institute NSW.
Risk factors include smoking, high alcohol consumption, being overweight or obese, and high consumption of red and processed meats, stated the report.
High rates in Sydney were reportedly similar to the overall NSW bowel cancer incidence rate.
“Bowel cancer screening can detect pre-cancerous lesions, which can be treated before cancer develops. Screening has the capacity to significantly reduce bowel cancer incidence rates,” the report stated.
Hawkesbury also had the fourth-highest incidence rate for melanoma. Projected melanoma rates were highest in coastal areas, with Sutherland Shire, Mosman, Wollondilly and Northern Beaches making-up the top-five.
Penrith had the second-highest incidence rate for lung cancer, behind Campbelltown and followed by Blacktown.
These incidence projections are a mathematical extrapolation of past trends, assuming that the most recent trend will continue into the future, said Cancer Institute NSW.