title: Trends in cancer incidence and survival for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the Northern Territory.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess trends in cancer incidence and survival for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of population-based cancer registration data.
  
  
  METHODS
  New cancer diagnoses in the NT, 1991-2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age-adjusted incidence rates; rate ratios comparing incidence in NT Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations with that for other Australians; 5-year survival; multivariable Poisson regression of excess mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of most cancers in the NT non-Indigenous population was similar to that for other Australians. For the NT Indigenous population, the incidence of cancer at several sites was much higher (v other Australians: lung, 84% higher; head and neck, 325% higher; liver, 366% higher; cervix, 120% higher). With the exception of cervical cancer (65% decrease), incidence rates in the Indigenous population did not fall between 1991-1996 and 2007-2012. The incidence of several other cancers (breast, bowel, prostate, melanoma) was much lower in 1991-1996 than for other Australians, but had increased markedly by 2007-2012 (breast, 274% increase; bowel, 120% increase; prostate, 116% increase). Five-year survival was lower for NT Indigenous than for NT non-Indigenous patients, but had increased for both populations between 1991-2000 and 2001-2010.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of several cancers that were formerly less common in NT Indigenous people has increased, without a concomitant reduction in the incidence of higher incidence cancers (several of which are smoking-related). The excess burden of cancer in this population will persist until lifestyle risks are mitigated, particularly by reducing the extraordinarily high prevalence of smoking.
authors.affiliation: Health Gains Planning Branch, Northern Territory Department of Health, Darwin, NT john.condon@menzies.edu.au.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Condon
authors.affiliation: Health Gains Planning Branch, Northern Territory Department of Health, Darwin, NT.
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dempsey
authors.affiliation: Health Gains Planning Branch, Northern Territory Department of Health, Darwin, NT.
authors.forename: Lindy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garling
authors.affiliation: Health Gains Planning Branch, Northern Territory Department of Health, Darwin, NT.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guthridge
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends*; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples