Cancer on the Sunshine Coast
The CCQ region of the Sunshine Coast
covers about 14,000 km2, or less than 0.8% of total Queensland. Situated
on the coast, it is also bounded by the Greater Brisbane region to the
south, South West region to the west, and Wide Bay Burnett region to the
north. In 2019 it had a population of 557,315, which was 10.9% of
Queensland’s total population.
The major population centres are Caboolture, Nambour, Noosa and Gympie. Tourism is a significant industry in the region. The nearest radiation treatment centre for cancer patients on the Sunshine Coast are the facilities in Nambour, Maroochydore, Buderim and Birtinya. Additional options are: radiation facilities in Hervey Bay (opened in 2019), or those in Greater Brisbane, especially North Lakes and Chermside.
| Region Characteristics (2019 data unless otherwise specified) | Sunshine Coast | Queensland |
|---|---|---|
| Percent of population who… | ||
| … are female | 51.3% | 50.6% |
| … are aged 50 years and over | 26.3% | 22.7% |
| … are Indigenous (2016) | 3.1% | 4.6% |
| … speak another language at home | 5.2% | 12.1% |
| … live in remote areas | 0.0% | 2.0% |
| … live within 2 hours drive of radiation treatment | 100.0% | 89.5% |
| … live more than 6 hours drive from radiation treatment | 0.0% | 1.8% |
| … live in disadvantaged areas | 16.2% | 17.7% |
| … live in affluent areas | 5.8% | 18.8% |
| All Cancers* Sunshine Coast | Male | Female | Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of new cases per year | 2371 | 1781 | 4152 |
| Chance of diagnosis by age 80* | 1 in 2.1 | 1 in 2.7 | 1 in 2.3 |
| Median age at diagnosis | 70 yrs | 68 yrs | 69 yrs |
| Five-year relative survival | 67% | 72% | 69% |
| Number of deaths per year | 743 | 533 | 1276 |
| Percent deaths before age 80 | 62% | 63% | 62% |
| 1 Persons data may not equal sum of males and females due to rounding. | |||
| 2 Cancers with a lifetime risk above 1 in 5 the value provided to one decimal point. |
The 10 most common cancers diagnosed in Sunshine Coast by sex, 2015 - 2019
Five-year relative survival in Sunshine Coast by type of cancer and sex, 2015 - 2019
Note: Relative survival calculated using the period method, for persons aged 0-89 years at diagnosis. Data are for “at risk” cases in the period 2015-2019
Facts about the most common cancers in Sunshine Coast
| Colorectal Cancer | Male | Female | Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of new cases per year | 249 | 212 | 461 |
| Chance of diagnosis by age 80* | 1 in 16 | 1 in 20 | 1 in 18 |
| Median age at diagnosis | 71 yrs | 71 yrs | 71 yrs |
| Five-year relative survival | 64% | 67% | 65% |
| Number of deaths per year | 84 | 70 | 154 |
| Percent deaths before age 80 | 65% | 56% | 61% |
| Lung Cancer | Male | Female | Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of new cases per year | 216 | 173 | 389 |
| Chance of diagnosis by age 80* | 1 in 18 | 1 in 23 | 1 in 20 |
| Median age at diagnosis | 72 yrs | 70 yrs | 72 yrs |
| Five-year relative survival | 20% | 30% | 24% |
| Number of deaths per year | 151 | 100 | 252 |
| Percent deaths before age 80 | 69% | 71% | 69% |
| Melanoma | Male | Female | Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of new cases per year | 337 | 227 | 565 |
| Chance of diagnosis by age 80* | 1 in 11 | 1 in 17 | 1 in 13 |
| Median age at diagnosis | 68 yrs | 64 yrs | 67 yrs |
| Five-year relative survival | 90% | 94% | 92% |
| Number of deaths per year | 34 | 13 | 48 |
| Percent deaths before age 80 | 58% | 64% | 60% |
| Female Breast Cancer | Male | Female | Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of new cases per year | . . . . . . | 471 | . . . . . . |
| Chance of diagnosis by age 80* | . . . . . . | 1 in 8 | . . . . . . |
| Median age at diagnosis | . . . . . . | 64 yrs | . . . . . . |
| Five-year relative survival | . . . . . . | 91% | . . . . . . |
| Number of deaths per year | . . . . . . | 76 | . . . . . . |
| Percent deaths before age 80 | . . . . . . | 73% | . . . . . . |
| Prostate Cancer | Male | Female | Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of new cases per year | 657 | . . . . . . | . . . . . . |
| Chance of diagnosis by age 80* | 1 in 6 | . . . . . . | . . . . . . |
| Median age at diagnosis | 69 yrs | . . . . . . | . . . . . . |
| Five-year relative survival | 91% | . . . . . . | . . . . . . |
| Number of deaths per year | 99 | . . . . . . | . . . . . . |
| Percent deaths before age 80 | 41% | . . . . . . | . . . . . . |