Release notice - Canadian Cancer Statistics

Abstract

Produced through a partnership between the Public Health Agency of Canada, Statistics Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society, and in collaboration with the provincial/territorial cancer registries, the Canadian Cancer Statistics 2019 publication provides current estimates (projections) of cancer incidence and mortality counts and rates across the country by cancer type, age group and sex. The publication also includes the probability of developing and dying from cancer, incidence and mortality trends over time, and net survival by cancer type. Highlights from the 2019 publication: Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada. Nearly 1 in 2 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime and about 1 in 4 will die from cancer. In 2019, an estimated 220 400 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer and 82 100 will die from cancer. Lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancers are expected to remain the most commonly diagnosed cancers, accounting for 48% of all diagnoses in 2019. One-quarter of all cancer deaths are expected to be due to lung cancer. Colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancers are the next leading causes of cancer death. Current five-year net cancer survival is estimated to be 63% for all cancers combined. Survival is very high for some cancer types such as thyroid (98%) and testicular (97%) and very low for others such as esophageal (15%) and pancreatic (8%). The biggest increases in survival since the early 1990s were for blood-related cancers (non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma).