Cancer Institute Nsw

We are a NSW Government agency dedicated to lessening the impact of cancer across the state. We work collaboratively to implement programs and initiatives for cancer prevention and early detection, optimising cancer care and building research capacity.

Someone is diagnosed with cancer, on average, every 13 minutes in NSW. The number of people diagnosed with cancer is steadily rising. In 2012, there were 42, 079 new cases of cancer in NSW and 14, 099 deaths from cancer*. By 2021, approximately 53, 000 people every year across NSW will be told they have cancer. This has a significant impact on the people of NSW and the health system.

Although the burden of cancer is shared by all, the distribution of its impact and outcomes is not equal across the NSW population. Throughout the state, some groups are more affected by cancer than others, including Aboriginal people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people from rural and remote communities and lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Advances in prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer are allowing many more people to survive and live longer with the disease. NSW now has a five-year survival rate of 67 per cent* for people diagnosed with cancer—this is on par with the best health systems in the world.

As the number of survivors grows, the impact on the healthcare system will increase, including the need for long-term follow-up care after treatment, as well as rehabilitation and improved palliative care.

The Cancer Institute NSW was established under the Cancer Institute (NSW) Act 2003 to provide the strategic direction for cancer control across the state. This is driven by the goals and objectives of the NSW Cancer Plan.
Goal 1: Reduce the incidence of cancer
Goal 2: Increase the survival rate of people with cancer
Goal 3: Improve the quality of life of people with cancer

The Institute works collaboratively to develop and implement programs and initiatives across cancer prevention and early detection, through to optimising cancer treatment and care.

We are proud to work alongside local health districts, primary health networks, specialty health networks, the NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Health pillars, government and non-government organisations, researchers, health professionals and people affected by cancer in our mission to end cancers as we know them.

The Institute holds more than 40 years of cancer notifications on record, which enables continuous monitoring and reporting back to the health system.

As the largest funder of cancer research in NSW, the Institute’s strategic investment (on behalf of the NSW Government) is building research capacity, attracting and keeping world-class researchers, fostering innovation and supporting the translation of new discoveries into clinical practice.

Visit us at www. cancerinstitute.org. au

* Latest available data at publication, NSW Cancer Registry.