Pioneering technology, developed in Brisbane, will help people fight cancer. The Australian Cancer Atlas offers an interactive look at national patterns surrounding the silent killer.

Kendyl Bailey reports.

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With the touch of a keyboard you can now find out where certain types of cancer are high or low risk.

Chris McMillan, Cancer Council Queensland CEO: “This will save lives.”

The project a collaboration between QUT, the Cancer Council and tech company FrontierSI.

Chris McMillan Cancer, Council Queensland CEO: “It’s hoped that it will really pave the way for greater research to occur right across Australia.”

The graphics show Keperra, on Brisbane’s north-west, has a rate of melanoma 101 per cent higher than the national average.

St Lucia has Queensland’s highest rate of breast cancer, yet one of the lowest rates of head and neck cancers.

The Atlas demonstrates the 20 most common types of cancer, in a user-friendly way.

Phil Collier, FrontierSI: “You could put that in a classroom at primary school and a lot of kids would understand it.”

It also identifies figures on death and diagnoses by region and gender.

Professor Joanne Aitken, Cancer Council Queensland: “Ultimately, what we’d like to do is reduce the number of cases of cancer that we get and improve survival. And this atlas will most definitely help us to do that.”

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia. It is expected to claim more than 48,000 lives in 2018 alone.

This tool is a big step forward in improving gaps in access to health services, nationwide.

Kendyl Bailey, QUT News.