Canadian Cancer Society releases new statistics

The Canadian Cancer Society released a new report detailing the progress that has been made, and the challenges that still need to be overcome in the fight against cancer.

"What is significant about having the statistics and data behind this, is it really starts to illustrate to us the impact that cancer can have in the future if things remain the same," said Marlene Mulligan the executive director of the P.E.I. branch of the Canadian Cancer Society

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The report estimated that 910 Islanders will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 410 will die as a result of the disease.

It also said that one in two Canadians will get cancer in their lifetime with breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancer the most common.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. 

"Smoking and quitting smoking, and making that easier and easier to do for folks is definitely the number one thing," said Mulligan.

'Promising research'

She said that the survival rate in Canada is at 60 per cent compared to 25 per cent in the 1940s.

The report also showed the need for more funding.  Although charitable contributions to the Canadian Cancer Society allowed the group to contribute $40 million to research in 2016, 60 per cent of "high-priority research projects," went unfunded.

"There's lots of promising research," Mulligan said.

"It's about being able to fund it, bring it to clinical trial, bring it to the population."

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