Check your breast cancer risk by geography

The Cancer Council has enabled Queensland women to assess their geographical risk with the release of the first ever Atlas of Women’s Cancer on this, Pink Ribbon Day 2014.  Launched in Queensland the website collects your postcode and mobile number and tells you your risk of diagnosis and ratio of survival based on where you live.

The website is www.codepink.org.au and has been used by the Cancer Council to highlight the geographic differences in diagnosis and mortality from traditional women’s Cancers of breast, ovarian, cervical and uterine cancers.

Women living in some regional areas like Cairns and Mt Isa have been recorded as having the highest risks in the state.

Cancer Council Queensland spokeswoman Katie Clift said in a media statement that the Atlas aimed to highlight the geographical disparity that existed in the diagnosis and mortality rates for women’s cancers.

“The risk of Queensland women dying from a women’s cancer within five years of diagnosis is 42 per cent higher in regional and remote areas than urban areas,” Ms Clift said. “There are a number of factors that influence the differences in cancer incidence and survival, including access to screening and diagnostic services, treatment and care.

“Differences in environmental risk factors, migration of cancer patients to and from other geographical areas, the mix of cancer types in a region and random chance are all factors too.”

Women can enter their postcode and phone number in the code pink website, or Queensland women can text their postcode to Code Pink on 0488 770 088, and they will receive an instant reply outlining their risk of diagnosis and survival based on where they live.

The highest risk of death within 5 years of diagnosis, 

by Postcode; Remoteness; In comparison to the Queensland average:

4875; Remote; 48% higher (Thursday Island and other Islands)

4876; Remote; 46% higher (Injinoo)

4874; Remote; 42% higher (Weipa)

4825; Remote; 38% higher (Mornington)

4828; Remote; 38% higher  (Camoolweal)

4805; Remote; 34% higher (Bowen)

The lowest risk of death within 5 years of diagnosis

4072; Urban; 25% lower (University of Queensland)

4067; Urban; 25% lower (St Lucia)

4068; Urban; 25% lower (Chelmer)

4034; Urban; 24% lower (Aspley)

4017; Urban; 23% lower (Sandgate)

4007; Urban; 22% lower (Ascot)

Source: Atlas of Women’s Cancer in Queensland

Today is Pink Ribbon Day, donate to Breast Cancer at the Queensland Cancer Council’s Website… www.cancerqld.org.au.

I ran my own postcode through the following screens, for those who don’t live in Queensland and got the following result:

The response for postcode 4152 is: