In 2019, the rate of new cancer diagnoses increased from 547.5 to 550.2 cases per 100,000 Canadians, according to data from Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR), the country's national cancer database. The increase in the overall number of cases is a consequence of both population growth and population aging. In keeping with the previous years, the five most commonly diagnosed cancers remained those of the breast (13.1%), lung and bronchus (12.3%), prostate (11.4%), colorectal (10.4%) and urinary bladder (4.9%). Together, these five cancer types accounted for over half of all cancer diagnoses in 2019. It should be noted that these results predate the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact that it has possibly had on cancer screening and diagnosis.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).