SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Australians concerned about blood cancers

There's been a spike in online searches for 'leukaemia', 'lymphoma' and 'myeloma' as more Australians are being diagnosed with deadly blood cancers.

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

With 35 new cases diagnosed every day more Australians than ever are turning to Dr Google for information on blood cancers.

Research has revealed a spike in online searches for 'leukaemia', 'lymphoma' and 'myeloma'.

The data reflects a "troubling" increase in the number of blood cancer diagnoses and related deaths in Australia and a need for greater patient support, says The Leukaemia Foundation CEO Bill Petch.

Analysis of search traffic conducted by the cancer charity found there were an average of 56,842 searches per month in 2016-17.

It's a 44 per cent increase on the average 39,547 monthly searches in 2013-14.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

In March this year alone, there were over 69,600 searches nationally - a four-year monthly high.

The number of Australians diagnosed with blood cancer has also increased.

According to The Leukaemia Foundation, 35 people are diagnosed every day, up from 31 people just four years ago.

While the cause for the increase in online searches is unclear, Mr Petch says the data raises concern that the country's "60,000-strong blood cancer community" is in need of greater support.

"This new data paints a troubling picture about the growing problem of blood cancer," Mr Petch said.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world