Cancer rates in Canada for 2026 are projected to remain high, particularly for lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers -- which will likely make up 47% of new diagnoses, according to a report published April 13 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The findings underscore the need for caregivers to stay informed regarding incidence of the disease, noted a group led by Darren Brenner, MD, of the University of Calgary in Alberta.
"Given the considerable health, social, and economic impacts of cancer in Canada, awareness of up-to-date estimates of cancer incidence and mortality is essential for service planning," it wrote.
The report was developed by the Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee in collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society, Statistics Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. It used data from the Canadian Cancer Registry and Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database to estimate the number and rate of new cancer cases and deaths in 2026 for 23 cancer types by province or territory and by sex.
Overall, the report suggested that 42% of all people in Canada will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, a statistic that underscores "the immense burden that cancer continues to place on people in Canada," according to Jennifer Gillis, MD, study coauthor and director of surveillance at the Canadian Cancer Society.
"When nearly half of the population is expected to be diagnosed in their lifetime, this research becomes vital -- helping us better understand not just how widespread cancer is, but where its impact is greatest and where action can make the biggest difference for all those affected by cancer, now and in the future," she said in a statement released by the journal.
Brenner, Gillis, and colleagues found the following:
- Cancer persists as the leading cause of death in Canada. In 2023, one in four deaths resulted from the disease.
- The report projects 254,100 new cancer cases and 87,900 cancer deaths in Canada in 2026.
- Lung cancer is expected to be the most-diagnosed cancer and the number one cause of cancer death in both men (21%) and women (23%), causing one in five cancer deaths.
- Among men, the most common cancers are projected to be prostate (23%), lung (12%), colorectal (11%), and bladder (8%).
- In women, the most common cancers are expected to be breast (26%), lung (14%), colorectal (9%), and uterine (7%).
- For men, the cancer incidence rate is estimated to be 16% higher and the mortality rate 36% higher than for women.
- Some types of cancers are declining, with colorectal cancer projected to be 32% lower in men and 29% lower in women compared with the early 2000s.
- More women than men will likely be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2026.
"A higher proportion of lung cancers among [women] are not explained by tobacco consumption, suggesting that additional exposures -- including lifestyle factors, radon, and air pollution -- may need to be addressed to further reduce cancer incidence," the investigators wrote. "Many provinces have now initiated screening programs for lung cancer, at various levels of implementation, that should enable earlier detection and, combined with advances in the clinical management of disease, should lead to reduced mortality."
They also noted that screening programs and advances in treatments have contributed to declining rates among some cancers, writing that "five-year survival has improved for many cancers, even for late-stage cancers, through advances in surgical, radiation, and systemic therapies."
Access the full report here.
