Cancer is a disease brought about by the abnormal behaviour of cells in the body. Cancer can start in any part of the body including the bones, brain, blood, skin, respiratory tract, digestive system and sexual organs.
Typically, cells start growing abnormally and form lumps or tumours. Some tumours are benign and remain in one specific area, while others are malignant and can invade tissues anywhere in the body.
Cancer is the leading cause of premature death in Canada. It is responsible for the loss of approximately a third of potential life-years, for both men and women.
Read on to learn more information on the disease:
Who gets cancer?
- Approximately 4 in 10 adults will develop a form of cancer in their lifetime.
- Roughly 75% of new cases in men and 63% in women occur after age 60.
- Approximately 1 in 4 persons will die of cancer.
There is good news. Thanks to improved detection methods, new or improved treatments and a better understanding of risk factors, death rates for all cancers combined have dropped by more than 12.5% among men and 13% among women since 1988 (with the exception of lung cancer among women). In addition, breast and prostate cancer victims now have a 70% survival rate.
Common forms of cancer
In Canada, these are the common forms of cancer found among:
-
Men
The three most frequent types of cancer among men are:
- prostate cancer
- lung cancer
- colorectal cancer
These three types represent 50% of potential life-years lost because of cancer.
Prostate cancer, the most common form of the disease among men, is increasingly common. Since 1988, the incidence has risen by 30%. Fortunately, death rates have dropped by 10% during the same period. -
Women
The three most frequent types of cancer among women are:
- breast cancer
- lung cancer
- colorectal cancer
These three types represent 53% of potential life-years lost because of cancer.
Breast cancer, the most common form of cancer among Canadian women, is on the rise. Incidence rates have increased by 10% since 1988. Fortunately, death rates have dropped by 19% during the same period. -
Children
Every year, approximately 1,300 Canadian children under the age of 19 are diagnosed with cancer, and about 240 die from the disease.
Leukemia the most common form of cancer in children, represents over one quarter of childhood cancer cases and accounts for one third of cancer-related deaths. Childhood cancer mortality rates have dropped by more than 50% since the early 1950s due to advances in research and treatment.