The increase in cancer prevalence and hospital burden in Western Australia, 1992–2011

Abstract

PurposeTo describe cancer prevalence and hospital service utilization by prevalent cancer patients in Western Australia from 1992 to 2011.MethodsThis study was a population-based cohort study using the Western Australia (WA) Cancer Registry (1982 to 2011) as the source of incident cancer cases. These data were linked to mortality (1982 to 2011) and hospital morbidity (1998 to 2011) records via the WA Data Linkage System to ascertain complete and limited-duration prevalence and cancer-related hospitalizations over time. Prevalence rates were calculated using estimated residential population data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.ResultsIn 2011, one in every 27 people living in WA had been diagnosed with cancer at some time in their lifetime, and one in 68 had been diagnosed within the previous five years. Between 1992 and 2011, complete cancer prevalence in Western Australia increased by a magnitude of 2.5-fold. Forty-five and 44% of the increase in complete cancer prevalence in males and females between 1992 and 2011 can be attributed to prostate and breast cancer, respectively. The absolute number of cancer-related bed days increased 81 and 74% in males and females, respectively, diagnosed within one year, between 1998 and 2011.ConclusionsThe prevalence of cancer and the burden it places on hospitals continues to rise, demanding ongoing efforts to prevent cancer through modifiable risk factors and better, more efficient use of health resources. Steps should to be taken to understand and address overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

Hospital admissions in children with cerebral palsy: a data linkage study

“…[11][12][13] Roder et al 14 describe the role of the cancer register in this type of research as 'the data spine', around which data from other sources are linked to demonstrate patterns of service use in this population. [11][12][13] Roder et al 14 describe the role of the cancer register in this type of research as 'the data spine', around which data from other sources are linked to demonstrate patterns of service use in this population.…”

“…In recent years, the ability of disease registers to inform health service management and evaluation through linkage with other data sets has been recognized, and internationally, cancer registries have been used extensively to investigate morbidity and health service use in this patient group. [11][12][13] Roder et al 14 describe the role of the cancer register in this type of research as 'the data spine', around which data from other sources are linked to demonstrate patterns of service use in this population. Geographically-defined CP registers are well placed to play such a role in investigating the health service needs of individuals with CP.…”

Sarcoma epidemiology and cancer-related hospitalisation in Western Australia from 1982 to 2016: a descriptive study using linked administrative data

“…However, for previous years, there was less follow-up and thus a higher chance that people previously diagnosed with sarcoma and still alive were diagnosed before 1982 and therefore not counted among the prevalent population. The approach taken with an earlier analysis of WA data by Maxwell et al [16] was adopted to correct for this. First, the number of individuals who would be prevalent in 2016, had the start of the study period been 1 January 2016, was calculated.…”

Australia is responding to the complex challenge of overdiagnosis

“…An ongoing series of articles 6 has raised concerns about overdiagnosis across a wide range of conditions, including pulmonary embolism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and pre‐diabetes. While overdiagnosis is but one driver of the wider problem of too much unsafe, ineffective and inappropriate care, 7 early evidence from Australian research suggests that too many people are also receiving diagnoses unlikely to benefit them 8 …”

“…While overdiagnosis is but one driver of the wider problem of too much unsafe, ineffective and inappropriate care, 7 early evidence from Australian research suggests that too many people are also receiving diagnoses unlikely to benefit them. 8 Internationally, there are growing numbers of initiatives to respond to overdiagnosis. The Overdiagnosis Working Group from the Guidelines International Network is now tackling the problem of inappropriately widened disease definitionsregarded as a key driver of the problem (www.g-i-n.net).…”