National Cancer Wellness Awareness Day: How are Canadians facing cancer?

Cancer affects nearly half of Canadians in their lifetime and has a major impact on individuals, families and communities. National Cancer Wellness Awareness Day is a reminder of the importance of prevention, early detection, support and healthy living before, during and after a cancer diagnosis.

In recognition of this important day, here’s a snapshot of recent data from the Health of Canadians, 2024 report by Statistics Canada.

1. Cancer incidence and survival

• An estimated 45% of Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
• In Canada, 247,100 new cancer cases were projected to be diagnosed in 2024.
• Lung cancer was projected to remain the most diagnosed cancer, with 32,100 new cases expected in 2024, followed by breast (30,800 cases), prostate (27,900 cases) and colorectal (25,200 cases) cancers. Combined, these four cancer types made up 47% of all new cancer cases expected in 2024.

2. Leading cause of death

• In Canada, cancer and heart disease remained the leading causes of death, together accounting for 43.7% of deaths in 2023, up from 42.4% in 2022.
• As the leading cause of premature death (i.e., death before age 75) in Canada, cancer has a large impact on the health of Canadians and the Canadian health care system.
• The potential years of life lost (i.e., the number of years of potential life not lived) because of premature mortality from cancer from 2018 to 2020 reached approximately 1.3 million years.

3. Cancer trends

• Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) were projected to decrease from previous years for both males and females.
• The ASIR for all cancers combined was projected to be 13% higher among males than females in 2024.
• The ASMR for all cancers combined was projected to be 37% higher among males than females.
• Lung cancer was projected to remain the most common cause of cancer death, with an expected 20,700 deaths in 2024, followed by colorectal (9,400 deaths), pancreas (6,100 deaths), breast (5,500 deaths) and prostate (5,000 deaths) cancers.
• While the lung cancer mortality rate remained higher among males than females, females were expected to have a higher incidence rate in 2024 than males.

4. Cancer risk

• In 2023, the prevalence of reporting one or more chronic diseases (arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer [ever diagnosed], heart disease [ever diagnosed], stroke and mood disorders) was higher among females (48.9%) than males (43.3%) and higher among adults aged 65 and older (79.6%) than those aged 18 to 34 (21.0%).

5. Prevention and healthy living

• Maintaining a diet rich in fruits and vegetables contributes to a lower risk of chronic diseases, and a reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

This National Cancer Wellness Awareness Day, show support for yourself, your loved ones, and the millions of Canadians living with or beyond cancer.