lung cancer in canada: stats, impact and resources
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lung cancer and bronchus cancer, a type of lung cancer that originates in the bronchial tubes, is the most diagnosed cancer in canada, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers.
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lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. it starts as a growth of cells in the lungs that can destroy surrounding tissue. from there, it can also spread, or metastasize, to other parts of the body.
why is it so deadly? late detection and aggressive tumour behaviour lead to high mortality rates. symptoms often go unnoticed in the early stages, so by the time people do experience common symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing or a cough that won’t go away, the disease has advanced and treatment is more limited.
another contributing factor is the stigma lung cancer carries. people who smoke have the greatest risk of lung cancer, increasing with the length of time and number of cigarettes smoked. even after smoking for many years, though, quitting significantly lowers the chances of developing lung cancer. research shows that stigma leads to smokers experiencing shame, guilt and embarrassment that results in defensiveness, resolve to continue smoking, self-imposed social isolation and failure to disclose smoking status to healthcare providers.
lung cancer can also happen to people who have never smoked.
lung cancer stats in canada
lung cancer and bronchus cancer, a type of lung cancer that originates in the bronchial tubes, is the most diagnosed cancer in canada, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers. while it may not be talked about as often as breast or prostate cancer, lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women.
smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, accounting for 72 per cent of cases. exposure to second-hand smoke also raises the risk of lung cancer by 20 to 30 per cent in non-smokers.
current estimates say that one in 17 men will develop lung cancer during their lifetime and one in 20 will die from it, and one in 16 women will develop lung cancer and one in 21 will die from it.
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each year, more men are diagnosed with prostate cancer than lung cancer, and more women are diagnosed with breast cancer, yet lung cancer kills more people than prostate and breast cancers combined. the lifetime probability of developing lung cancer is 7.1 per cent.
other key numbers in canada:
- lung cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in people aged 70 to 84, and the second-most diagnosed cancer in people 85 years or older
- 98 per cent of lung cancer diagnoses are expected to occur in people 50 or older. incidence and mortality rates increase significantly with age, which is attributed to a lifetime of exposure to tobacco smoke or the prevalence of other risk factors, such as the cumulative exposure to air pollution and radon gas
- although lung cancer survival in canada is among the highest in the world, the five-year survival is still relatively low at only 22 per cent
- 32,900 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer, representing 13 per cent of all new cancer cases
- 19,400 people will die from lung cancer, which is 22 per cent of all cancer deaths
- 15,400 men will be diagnosed with lung cancer, and 10,100 will die from it
- 17,500 women will be diagnosed with lung cancer, and 9,300 will die from it.
- on average, 90 canadians will be diagnosed with lung cancer every day.
- on average, 53 canadians will die from lung cancer every day.
but what about the impact of fewer people smoking? the canadian cancer society says that the annual decline in lung cancer death rates is the largest across all cancer types, following the reduction in the prevalence of smoking.
according to health canada, the most recent data from 2022 shows that 12 per cent of canadians aged 15 and older currently smoke cigarettes, a rate that has remained stable since 2020. the rate of smokers dropped from 28.4 per cent in 2000 to 10.2 per cent in 2021. smoking prevalence varies by province, with b.c. having the lowest rate at 7.7 per cent and newfoundland and labrador with the highest at 14.8 per cent.
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in 2023, the lung cancer death rate for men was about 56 per cent lower than it was at its peak in 1988. for women, the rate is 24 per cent lower than at its peak in 2006. the difference in trends in lung cancer rates “largely reflects past differences in tobacco smoking,” reports the canadian cancer society, pointing out that the decrease in the prevalence of men who smoke tobacco daily began in the mid-1960s. in women, the decrease in smoking tobacco did not start until the 1980s. while the age-standardized lung cancer death rates have decreased substantially, lung cancer remains a leading killer.
impact of lung cancer on canadian society
lung cancer treatment costs can be huge, with patients and caregivers typically covering about 20 per cent of the total cancer costs, totalling an estimated $7.5 billion annually. the average patient spends about $33,000 in their lifetime on cancer-related costs, including medications, hospitalizations and other out-of-pocket expenses. as well, many treatments can be expensive and not fully covered by the publicly funded healthcare system. then factor in the absences from work by patients and caregivers, which add a further financial burden.
the canadian cancer survivor network points to research that revealed lung cancer has an even greater financial burden on families and support networks than other cancers because of “its high physical symptom burden and poor prognosis, resulting in expensive therapies and decreased workforce participation.” another large u.s. study showed that caregivers of lung cancer patients incurred higher costs over a two-year period following diagnosis than caregivers of patients with nine other cancer types.
other work to highlight on this front is the lung-roll study, an observational research project examining treatment patterns and healthcare costs for lung cancer patients across canada.
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the study follows 60,000 adult patients diagnosed with lung cancer in alberta and ontario since 2018, providing insights into how lung cancer is treated in real-world settings and the associated financial burden on patients and the healthcare system.
as study funder, astrazeneca, notes: “for patients and caregivers, this study matters because it will reveal how treatment decisions are actually made in clinical practice across different provinces. the findings may help identify variations in care, highlight best practices, and ultimately contribute to more standardized, effective treatment approaches nationwide. by examining healthcare resource utilization and direct medical costs, the research will also shed light on the financial impact of lung cancer treatment, which can be substantial for patients and their families.”
when it comes to treatments, there have been notable advancements, but the late detection of lung cancer is a critical barrier, and lung cancer mortality remains high. the canadian cancer society has spearheaded a collaborative initiative to address the issues: the 2025-2035 canadian lung cancer action plan aims to reduce lung cancer mortality by 30 per cent by 2035. the plan looks at prevention, access to care, inequities and improved screening and treatment.
resources and support for lung cancer in canada
the leading associations representing lung cancer are:
experts say connecting with a professional support organization is a key starting point to learning more about managing treatment, connecting with others who live with similar challenges, and understanding what steps to take to improve quality of life.
november is lung cancer awareness month. for more information, visit the canadian lung association.
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