Survival rates for cancers of the lung, colon and female breast, and for invasive lesions of the cervix have been analysed according to age, place of residence, country of birth, socioeconomic status, and where applicable, by sex and histological type and were found to be negatively related to age. For patients with cancers of the colon and cervix, survival rates were lower in country residents than in those of metropolitan Adelaide. Low socioeconomic status was associated with a lower survival rate for patients with colonic cancers and female breast cancers; a similar trend was suggested for those with cancers of the cervix. Higher survival rates were found for patients with squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas of the lung, and mucinous tumours of the breast. Higher survival rates for patients with breast tumours were associated with small tumour size at diagnosis. In some overseas-born populations, survival rates for patients with lung cancers and cervical cancers were higher than those in the Australian-born population. This warrants further investigation.