No respite in 2020 for N.L.'s high cancer rates, says new research paper

Cancer will continue to take a heavy toll in Canada — and Newfoundland and Labrador in particular — this year, according to a research paper published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday.

This year alone, said Leah Smith, a Canadian Cancer Society senior manager, researchers expect about 225,000 Canadians to face a cancer diagnoses, and about 83,000 Canadians to die of cancer.

And the projection is dire for Newfoundland and Labrador, which has some of the highest cancer rates in the country, said Smith, co-author of the paper, titled "Projected Burden of Cancer in Canada in 2020."

"This year alone we expect almost 4,000 Newfoundland and Labradorians to be diagnosed with cancer and we expect 1,500 people in this province to die of cancer."

The most commonly diagnosed types of cancer in Newfoundland and Labrador — like the rest of Canada — are lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancers.

Smith says it's not clear why cancer rates are high in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"The reasons why rates tend to be higher in this province than most other provinces aren't fully understood. However, we know that past exposure to cancer risk factors can play a big role in that," said Smith, speaking at the Canadian Cancer Society's office in St. John's on Friday. She listed tobacco smoking, diet, sun exposure and unhealthy body weight as factors that can increase the risk of cancer.

Pancreatic cancer survival rate low

"The leading cause of cancer death continues to be lung cancer," said Smith.

"It accounts for more cancer deaths than the next three leading causes (colorectal, pancreas and breast) combined."

But the new research raises concerns about pancreatic cancer in particular.

"It's something we've been seeing just since 2019. Pancreatic cancer is now expected to be the third-leading cause of cancer death in Canada, having surpassed breast cancer last year," said Smith.

The research projects that in 2020 more than 21,000 Canadians will die of breast cancer and 5,300 Canadians will die of pancreatic cancer.

Smith said death rates with most types of cancer in Canada have been declining.

"With pancreatic cancer, however, we really haven't had a lot of success," said Smith. "Pancreatic cancer, really, has the lowest survival rate of of all the major cancers. Only eight per cent of Canadians diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are expected to live five years past their diagnosis."

Hope as overall death rate declines

As people age they are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, and Newfoundland and Labrador's population is increasingly aging.

"The fact that the numbers are increasing means that there is an increasing impact on the health-care system, which is something that we need to be able to deal with," said Smith.

Despite that, Smith says there is hope for the future of cancer care.

"We are seeing progress with cancer. The research that has been done to help us understand more about cancer prevention, early detection and treatment has gone a long way to helping us see those decreasing cancer rates and death rates, and increases in survival," she said.

"What we have seen is since the early 1990s the cancer survival rate has increased from about 55 per cent to closer to 63 per cent. What we need to do is continue to invest in cancer research so that we can continue to see that progress."

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