A report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that the mortality rate in Australian adolescents and young adults with cancer has decreased in recent years.

The report titled "Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults in Australia" is the first to present a comprehensive depiction of cancer in young people aged 15 to 29.

Adolescents and young adults with cancer accounted for 1.7% of all cancer cases diagnosed in Australia. The most common form of cancer among this age group is melanoma.

"Almost 8,800 new cases of cancer (excluding basal and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin) were diagnosed in people aged 15-29 between 2003 and 2007," said AIHW spokesperson Chris Sturrock.

While skin cancer remains as the leading cause of cancer among young adults and adolescents a study by the Cancer Institute offers a ray of hope. Research shows that only 45 percent of teens prefer suntans and only 12 percent believe tanned people are healthier. The figures are encouraging for anti-skin campaigners who have maintained that tanning salons are unhealthy for those aged under 30. Cancer Council Australia is campaigning to ban solariums. Robyn Parker, the minister for environment told the Sydney Morning Herald that the government is close to presenting a policy about solarium regulation.

"We are very close to finalising a policy that will reduce the risk of exposure to ultraviolet radiation and ensure that solaria operators will not put the public's health at risk," Parker said.

Meanwhile brain cancer remains as the most common cause of cancer death for young adults and adolescents. There were just over 1000 cancer deaths among patients aged 15 to 29.

"The good news is that the death rate from cancer in those aged 15-29 decreased by almost 2% per year between 1983 and 2007," Sturrock said. "Survival for young people with cancer is also quite high and has improved."

In the period 2004 to 2010 survival from all cancers combined was higher in the 15-29 age group. However this survival rate is affected by the patient's socioeconomic status and location. Those living outside major cities were more likely to die from cancer than those live in major cities.