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Updated: Sep 16, 2025

A Three-Dimensional Spheroid Model to Investigate the Tumor-Stromal Interaction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Published on: September 30, 2021
Cancer control measures have prevented 230,000 deaths in Australia since the mid-1980s
Brigid M Lynch1, Matthew T Warkentin2, Melissa M Moore3
1Cancer Council Victoria, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Physical Activity Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Objective:
To estimate the lives saved because of cancer control measures implemented in Australia, since age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) have been available.
Methods:
Secondary data analysis using publicly available data. We estimated ASMRs using the (unadjusted) age-specific rates and the corresponding population counts. We also estimated the expected number of cancer deaths, the number of avoided cancer deaths and standardised mortality ratios (SMR).
Results:
The overall ASMR for females peaked in 1985 at 116.50 per 100,000 (95% CI: 114.40, 118.60) and declined to 81.36 (95% CI: 80.24, 82.48) in 2018. For males, the overall ASMR peaked at 188.27 per 100,000 in 1987 (95% CI: 185.38, 191.16), declining to 116.08 per 100,000 (95% CI: 114.67, 117.48) in 2018. We estimated that 66,733 and 164,358 cancer deaths have been avoided for females and males, respectively. This corresponds to an 11% (SMR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.89, 0.89) and 20% (SMR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.80, 0.80) reduction in overall cancer mortality.
Conclusions:
When considering overall cancer rates, over 230,000 cancer-related deaths have been avoided in Australia since 1950.
Implications For Public Health:
These estimates demonstrate the value of sustained cancer control investment, particularly in primary and secondary prevention.
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