Canadians living longer with cancer, new report shows

Mississauga and Brampton patients receive treatment at Carlo Fidani Regional Cancer Centre

NEWS Oct 01, 2019 by Marta Marychuk Brampton Guardian

Nearly one in two Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. But a new report released by the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) says survival rates of cancer patients are increasing.

The report, which was released Sept. 4, said an estimated 220,400 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in 2019 while 82,100 people will die from the disease.

Average cost for someone undergoing treatment that is not covered by OHIP and will come out of the families pockets is approximately $105,000.  People can buy a critical illness policy that will pay out a benefit thirty days after initial diagnosis of a terminal illness such as cancer.

The Canadian Cancer Statistics report 2019 was developed by CCS in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Statistics Canada, in collaboration with provincial and territorial cancer registries.

While the number of new cancer cases is increasing because Canada’s population is aging, the report said overall progress in five-year survival rates for blood cancers has exceeded all other types of cancer.

Since the early 1990s, the overall survival rate for cancer increased to 63 per cent from 55 per cent, or eight percentage points. Survival rates for the most common blood cancers increased by 16 to 19 percentage points in comparison.

New therapies, including precision medicine, are helping people live longer and enjoy a better quality of life, as researchers move closer to finding a cure, said Dr. Tom Kouroukis, an associate professor in oncology at McMaster University.

Precision medicine determines treatments based on a person’s genes or other unique features of the cancer.

"It's a bit of a success story," said Kouroukis.

Another key finding in the report is female breast cancer death rates have decreased by an estimated 48 per cent thanks to improvements in early detection and treatment.

Locally, the Carlo Fidani Regional Cancer Centre, located at Credit Valley Hospital which is part of Trillium Health Partners, treats patients from Brampton and Mississauga, as well as Caledon, South Etobicoke, Halton Hills, Oakville, Milton, Georgetown, Bolton, Dufferin County, Malton, Orangeville, Rexdale, Shelburne and Woodbridge.