GROWING IMPACT OF BLOOD CANCER ON WOMEN Increasing incidence rates, mortality and disease burden forecast over coming decade
With
Chris Tanti, CEO
Leukaemia Foundation
SEGMENT
Filmed in Melbourne | December 2025
According to the Leukaemia Foundation, blood cancer is one of the most urgent and under-recognised women’s health issues in Australia, with three times more Australian women diagnosed with blood cancer than ovarian and cervical cancer combined (Source: AIHW, Cancer Data in Australia, 2024).
Blood cancer has also emerged as the second most common cancer diagnosed in Australian women overall – behind only breast cancer – and the leading cancer amongst girls and women under the age of 30 (Source: AIHW, Cancer Data in Australia, 2024).
Women face longer, more intensive treatment regimens than many other cancers, often requiring lengthy hospital stays or relocation to a capital city to access specialist care. Treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can also cause irreversible infertility.
The financial and emotional burden of blood cancer on women is equally severe:
- Women with blood cancer are more likely to be out of work than those with other leading cancers.
- 42% of patients are forced to take more than three months off work, 30% leave their jobs entirely, and half have not been able to return to work.
- Patients face average out-of-pocket costs of $5,000–$11,000, compared to $2,500 for other cancers
- 70% of people with blood cancer experience emotional challenges after diagnosis.
Women also make up 72% of Australia’s primary carers, yet with a debilitating diagnosis like blood cancer, their ability to care for others is significantly diminished, impacting families and communities nationwide.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Leukaemia Foundation CEO, Chris Tanti about the toll, blood cancer takes on women’s lives beyond the physical fight for survival, as well as the alarming forecasts on the expected increase over the next decade. Mr Tanti talks about the need to increased levels of medical research into blood cancer to balance against other leading cancers, to investigate prevention, early detection, and diagnosis.
About Leukaemia Foundation
For the past 50 years, the Leukaemia Foundation has been caring for and supporting Australians affected by blood cancer by providing accommodation while they are undergoing treatment, assistance with transport to appointments, education and information about their blood cancer, as well as other practical, financial, emotional and mental health support.
Source: Adapted from Leukaemia Foundation media release September 2025
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Values in Workplace Culture
Professor Sabe Sabesan, is the Clinical Dean of the Townsville Regional Medical Training network incorporating the Townsville Hospital and Health Services and the Townsville Clinical School of the James Cook University and the director of the department of Medical oncology at the Townsville Cancer Centre, Townsville Hospital.
The Professor recently wrote, “Workforce wellness and engagement have become buzzwords in healthcare settings since there is an intimate relationship between staff wellbeing and performance of the healthcare system. Wellness initiatives such as wellness champions and wellness committees have been set up in response to emerging workforce mental health issues. These are largely reactive rather than being proactive in addressing or preventing the root cause of mental health issues.”
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Empowering underprivileged communities with sustainable health
Dr Gaj Panagoda, CEO of Xstitch Health, has a diverse medical background and is working to improve health systems for underprivileged communities. In the Australian Health Journal’s People In Health Care series, he talks about the changes needed in community-based care using a project based approach,
According to Dr Panagoda, there is a need for a shift towards community-based care and collaboration with stakeholders in the healthcare system, and the potential to create a new kind of socially conscious, inspired, community-informed medical specialist is the future of medical specialty care.
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Continuing education program leads to better conversations
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The CEP is primarily directed at medical representatives working within the prescription medicines industry, but is also recommended to people who may not be currently employed within the industry but would like to pursue a career as a medical representative. It is also available to personnel working for organisations interacting with the pharmaceutical industry.
