Cancer will kill 8 Manitobans a day in 2017, report says
'Almost half of us will be diagnosed with at least one form of cancer in our lifetime'
The rate of cancer continues to grow in Manitoba, with 6,700 people expected to get a diagnosis this year — 800 more than five years ago, says a new report.
Of those, statistics suggest about 3,300 will be men and 3,400 will be women. Cancer will also take the lives of 2,900 Manitobans in 2017, which is an average of eight people every day.
"This is a sobering report that demonstrates how cancer touches every family in Canada and Manitoba,'' said Erin Crawford, senior director for the Canadian Cancer Society, which released the numbers on Tuesday as part of its annual snapshot of cancer in Canada.
"Almost half of us will be diagnosed with at least one form of cancer in our lifetime and sadly, one in four will die from cancer."
The report, released in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Statistics Canada, states that over the next 20 years, the number of cancer cases Canada-wide will increase 35 per cent as the population grows and ages.
In Manitoba, the increase is expected to be between 50 per cent and 60 per cent.
That drastic difference, however, is mostly attributable to data collection, Crawford said. Manitoba counts the recurrence of a cancer in a patient, whereas some other provinces do not.
"Manitoba specifically collects data really well," Crawford said.
For example, if a person is diagnosed in 1992 and then again with another cancer in 2005, in some provinces it would be reported as one cancer. In Manitoba, those are reported as two separate cancers, changing the incident rate.
This is a sobering report that demonstrates how cancer touches every family in Canada and Manitoba- Erin Crawford, Canadian Cancer Society
Nonetheless, the report serves as a warning because cancer puts a significant impact on individuals, their families, the health-care system and organizations that provide services to cancer patients, Crawford said.
"This report clearly demonstrates the need to get ready now for this steady increase in cancer cases,'' she said.
"We need to recognize the challenges that this will impose on Manitoba's health-care system as the demand grows for diagnostics, treatment, palliative care and support services."
It also highlights the need for continued strengthening of cancer prevention efforts and early detection, Crawford said.
"We know that about half of all cancer cases can be prevented through healthy behaviours and policies that protect the public,'' she said.
"This report shows the importance of taking the steps we can, whether it is having our children vaccinated or reducing the impact of second-hand smoke on patios."
Four kinds of cancer will account for half of the cancer cases in Manitoba this year, the report says:
- Lung — 910 new cases in 2017.
- Colorectal — 870 new cases.
- Breast — 860 new cases.
- Prostate — 700 new cases.
Broken down by gender, the most commonly diagnosed cancers this year in Manitoban men are expected to be prostate (700), colorectal (510) and lung (430).
For women, they are expected to be breast (860), lung (480) and colorectal (360).
Taking action
There are immediate things everyone can do — or not do, in some cases — to improve their chances of avoiding cancer:
- If you smoke, quitting is the best way to reduce your cancer risk. If you don't smoke, don't start. Smoking is responsible for 30 per cent of all cancer deaths in Canada.
- Get screened. If you're in a certain age or population group there are screening tests to identify breast, cervical and colorectal cancers and HPV.
- Eat well and be active. About one-third of all cancers can be prevented by eating well, being active and maintaining a healthy body weight.
- Practice sun safety and don't use indoor tanning. Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer and is mostly preventable.