A new study published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal said Canada cancer rate, the deaths associated with it, will continue to increase as more and more Canadians reach their senior years.
The study was based on data provided by the Canadian Cancer Registry and Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database, respectively.
The study was researched and written by more than a dozen physicians and scientists, including researchers from the University of Calgary; Canadian Cancer Society, Vancouver; Centre for population health at Stats Canada, the Population Oncology Centre in Vancouver; McMaster University department of surgery; Nova Scotia Health Cancer Care Program, Halifax; Cancer Care Alberta, Calgary; and the College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.
"We projected cancer incidence and mortality counts and rates to 2024 for 23 types of cancer, overall, by sex, and by province or territory,” the study states. “We calculated age-standardized rates using data from the 2011 Canadian standard population."
One of the key findings in the study is that in 2024, the number of new cancer cases and deaths from cancer are expected to reach 247,100 and 88,100, respectively.
More cases, more deaths
"Although the overall incidence of cancer and associated mortality are declining, new cases and deaths in Canada are expected to increase in 2024, largely because of the growing and aging population," said the study
“Efforts in prevention, screening, and treatment have reduced the impact of some cancers, but these short-term projections highlight the potential effect of cancer on people and health care systems in Canada.”
The study also produced several tables showing the projected incidence of cancers for 2024 for specific groups and cancer types. For men, the highest percentage types were found to be prostate (22 per cent), lung (12 per cent), colorectal (11 per cent), and bladder (seven per cent) cancers.
For women, the highest percentage types were breast (25 per cent), lung (14 per cent), colorectal (nine per cent), and uterine (seven per cent).
Apart from sex-specific cancers, cancer is more commonly diagnosed among males than females, except for breast, thyroid and lung cancers, which are more common among females, said the study.
Men are also expected to develop cancer at a much higher rate. Overall, the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) for all cancers combined is expected to be 13 per cent higher among males than females (562.2 v. 495.9 per 100,000 population) in 2024, said the study.
Cancer has a substantial impact on the lives of people living in Canada and on Canadian health-care systems. Previous estimates suggest that 45 per cent of all people in Canada will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. As the population grows and ages, new cancer cases and deaths from cancer in Canada are also increasing, said the study.
The study also looked at the financial hardship cancer imposes on many families in Canada.
"Cancer has a major economic impact,” the study says. “The most recent estimates indicated that the economic burden of cancer in Canada was $26.2 billion in 2021, with 30 per cent of costs being carried by patients and their families."
The study cited sources that said this includes out-of-pocket costs, time costs, lost earnings and indirect costs for the patients and their families, regardless of the fact Canada has universal health care.
Out-of-pocket costs included costs of such things as drugs/supplements, home care, equipment, and all other expenses incurred by the patient. Time costs included the cost of the time to travel to obtain care, wait for the care, and receive care. Indirect costs included lost earnings from employment from the patient’s perspective. The term “patients’ and families’ costs” is used to refer to out-of-pocket, time, and indirect costs, collectively, said one of the studies cited in the report.
In conclusion, the authors wrote that there are increases in survivorship and lower overall cancer incidents because of better prevention, screening and treatment, there is still a need for continued financial investment for all areas of cancer control to reduce the impact of cancer on Canadians.
The full text of the study can be found online here:
Len Gillis covers health care and mining for Sudbury.com.
