Stop Cancer

Don’t be lulled into Complacency

Webster defines: COMPLACENCY

• Self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.
• An instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction.
• Apathetic with regard to an apparent need or problem.

Of the natural catastrophes that befall us, the most distressing are those caused by our own behaviour. Barry Lowitz, MD

It is a well discussed and published fact that more than 50% of cancers are preventable. Furthermore, the vast majority of cancers are curable if found early (prior to spreading).

Some statistics you need to know:( Canadian Cancer Society publication: Canadian Cancer Statistics 2011)

Incidence and mortality by cancer type

• An estimated 177,800 new cases of cancer (excluding 74,100 non-melanoma skin cancers) and 75,000 deaths from cancer will occur in Canada in 2011.
• Of the newly diagnosed cases, about one-half will be lung, colorectal, prostate and breast cancers.
• Over one-quarter (27%) of all cancer deaths are attributed to lung cancer.
• Colorectal cancer has a significant impact on mortality for men and women combined, with an estimated 8,900 deaths (12% of all cancer deaths).

Incidence and mortality by age and sex

• The risk of cancer increases with age, with 42% of new cancer cases and 59% of cancer deaths occurring among those 70 years of age and older.
• The incidence and mortality rates for males surpass those for females around age 55.
• Mortality is declining for males in most age groups and for females under 70.

Probability of developing or dying from cancer

• Based on current incidence rates, 40% of women and 45% of men in Canada will develop cancer during their lifetimes.

Current mortality rates indicate that 24% of women and 29% of men, or approximately one out of every four Canadians, will die from cancer.

Five-year relative survival

• Relative survival ratios are highest for thyroid, prostate and testicular cancers.
• Pancreatic, esophageal and lung cancers have the lowest relative survival ratios.
• Relative survival for lung cancer tends to decline with increasing age. For breast cancer, survival is significantly worse for those aged 15–39 and 80–99 at diagnosis compared to all other age groups.
• Relative survival has improved by 6% for all cancers combined between 1992 to 1994 and 2004 to 2006. Improvements were greatest for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemias.

The most prevalent cancers today are cancers of the breast, prostate, colon/rectum and lung, and together accounted for nearly 60% of cases.

Among Women, the most common 10-year prevalent cancers were Breast, Colorectal, body of Uterus and Lung.

Among Men, the most common 10-year prevalent cancers were Prostate, Colorectal, Bladder and Lung.

As the number of Canadians diagnosed with cancer continues to grow and prevalence rises, so does the burden on healthcare resources. More Canadians will require ongoing medical treatment, surveillance and supportive care. The answer: cancer prevention with focus where we know we can have an impact.

Doctors often cannot explain why one person develops cancer and another does not. But research shows that certain risk factors increase the chance that a person will develop cancer. These are considered the most common risk factors for cancer: (Canadian Cancer Society, BC Cancer Agency, National Cancer Institute)

• Growing older
• Tobacco
• Sunlight
• Ionizing radiation
• Certain chemicals and other substances
• Some viruses and bacteria
• Certain hormones
• Family history of cancer
• Alcohol
• Poor diet, lack of physical activity, or being overweight

Don’t wait until tomorrow to start making lifestyle adjustment to help minimize your risk of getting cancer.

Stop Smoking – Limit Alcohol – Be Mindful of Sun – Be Aware of your Environment

Eat Well – Lose Weight – Exercise – Be Active