Cancer Related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia - Essay Example

According to the estimates of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the number of aborigines is between 418,800 and 476,900. Death rates among the indigenous people due to cancer are very high. Late diagnosis, lack of adequate treatment, and highly prevalent risk factors such as tobacco are some of the reasons behind this death rate. That is why Indigenous people have a short lifespan than the non-indigenous population. The average life of an aboriginal male is 56 compared to 76 for the rest of the male population while the average life of aboriginal females is 63 compared to 82 non-indigenous counterparts.

It was also estimated that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Icelanders in Australia suffering from cancer not only have a lower survival rate but they are also more susceptible to some specific types of cancers (cancers of lung, oropharynx, esophagus, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas) than non-aboriginal Australians. Multiple factors are involved in the difference in cancer outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-aboriginal people of Australia. To bring improved cancer survival, the access of indigenous people to preventive measures of cancer screening and cancer treatment services must be ensured.