Aging population means more cancer cases

The Canadian Cancer Society has used Canadian Cancer Statistics 2000, a report prepared in conjunction with Health Canada and the National Cancer Institute of Canada, to estimate that there will be 132 000 new cases of cancer and 65 000 cancer-related deaths in Canada this year. FIGURE

Figure.

Males will account for 51.4% of new cases of cancer in 2000 and for 53.2% of cancer-related deaths. Among men, prostate cancer is responsible for 24.9% of new cancer cases and 6.5% of deaths; among women, breast cancer accounts for 29.9% of new cases and 18.1% of cancer-related deaths. Lung cancer is the second most frequently occurring cancer for both men (18%) and women (13.1%). New cases of colorectal cancer will strike men and women almost equally (13.5% versus 12.3%). Age-standardized rates for new cancer cases have remained relatively stable for the past 30 years, but the number of new cases has grown steadily (from 51 000 in 1971) because of aging of the population.

Cancer was the leading cause of potential years of life lost (PYLL) in 1997, representing 29.3% of PYLL from all causes. Lung cancer accounts for 26.1% of cancer-related PYLL, breast cancer for 10.6%, and colorectal cancer for 9.4%. Although prostate cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer in males, it accounts for only 3.7% of all cancer-related PYLL. All data from the 2000 report are available at www.cancer.ca/stats2000/maine.htm.