Second only to breast cancer: Women face rising blood cancer rates as funding lags decades behind

Blood cancer is one of Australia’s most urgent yet under-recognised women’s health issues, with three times more women diagnosed than with ovarian and cervical cancer combined. The call from Leukaemia Foundation urging policymakers and clinicians to confront the growing toll of blood cancer on Australian women comes as Blood Cancer Month begins this September, coinciding with Women’s Health Week (1–5 September).

“We are currently facing a crisis in women’s health that most people don’t know exists,” said Leukaemia Foundation CEO, Chris Tanti. “In 2024, more than 8,300 women in Australia heard the devastating words ‘you have blood cancer’. Within ten years that number is expected to almost double, meaning over 15,000 women will face this life-changing diagnosis.”

Blood cancer has now become the second most common cancer in Australian women, surpassed only by breast cancer, and is the leading cancer affecting girls and women under the age of 30.

“We cannot afford to sit by and stay silent any longer. These are mothers, daughters, sisters, friends – women who are in the middle of raising families, building careers, and caring for others. Blood cancer is cutting their lives short, shattering futures, and leaving families devastated,” said Tanti.

Unlike many other cancers, women diagnosed with blood cancer often endure longer, more intensive treatment regimens that can require extended hospital stays or relocation to metropolitan centres for specialist care. Standard treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can also cause irreversible infertility. However, advances in targeted therapies such as Novartis’ Scemblix (asciminib) and Takeda’s Iclusig (Ponatinib) for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) are demonstrating improved safety profiles, offering hope for better outcomes.

The burden is not just clinical but financial and emotional. Women with blood cancer are more likely to be out of work compared to those with other major cancers. Research shows 42% of patients are forced to take more than three months off work, 30% leave their jobs entirely, and half are unable to return.

Out-of-pocket costs can reach $5,000–$11,000 – more than double that of other cancers – while 70% of patients experience lasting emotional challenges. For women who make up 72% of Australia’s primary carers, a debilitating blood cancer diagnosis not only disrupts their lives but also destabilises families and communities nationwide.

For journalist and TV presenter Edwina Bartholomew, newly appointed as a National Ambassador for the Leukaemia Foundation, the impact is deeply personal. The 41-year-old has been receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for CML over the past year.

“The day I was diagnosed with blood cancer will stay with me forever,” Bartholomew said. “When my doctor told me, I had no idea what to expect and what was ahead. But fortunately, my diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia was early, and I have been extremely lucky.”

“Thanks to research, I am able to take a tablet that helps me to live a full and healthy life. My results are also a testament to the importance of regular health check-ups. I want women in Australia to know that…you are not alone in this fight and organisations like the Leukaemia Foundation are here to help and support you and your loved ones every step of the way,” she added.

Yet, despite the growing burden, blood cancer remains an invisible crisis in women’s health. Unlike other cancers, it cannot be prevented or screened for, and it can strike anyone at any stage of life. Incidence in women has risen by 70% over the past two decades, but research investment in prevention, detection, and diagnosis remains disproportionately low – just 12% of funding, compared to 90% for cervical cancer, 55% for melanoma, 37% for lung cancer, and 22% for breast cancer.

“The burden of blood cancer on girls and women in Australia is real and we are seeing it firsthand on a daily basis,” explained Tanti. “They’re bearing the brunt of this insidious disease and without better care, support, treatment and investment in vital blood cancer research, thousands of women won’t get the chance to live out the plans they’ve made for their lives.

“It’s time to speak up, speak louder, and act faster – women in Australia depend on it and we need to ensure that every girl and woman has the awareness, information, support and care they deserve so they can survive, and furthermore thrive, after blood cancer.”

In reimagining healthcare across the entire patient journey, Health Industry Hub^TM is the only one-stop-hub uniting the diversity of the Pharma, MedTech, Diagnostics & Biotech sectors to inspire meaningful change.

The Health Industry Hub^TM content is copyright protected. Access is available under individual user licenses. Please click here to subscribe and visit T&Cs here.