Cancer survival rates in Canada showing improvement: report

While it's true that cancer can be fatal, it's not always a death sentence—and survival rates for several major cancers in Canada have increased significantly over the past three decades, according to new data from Statistics Canada (StatCan).

In fact, cases of Thyroid, Testicular, Prostate and Breast cancers and Melanoma are at least 90%.

StatCan also reports that the five-year net survival rate for lung cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada, more than doubled from 13% in 1992–1994 to 27% in 2019–2021. Among men, survival rose from 12% to 22%, while among women, it increased from 15% to 32% over the same period .

Other cancers have also seen substantial gains. The five-year net survival rate for liver cancer increased from 9% in 1992–1994 to 24% in 2019–2021, while pancreatic cancer improved from 5% to 12% over the same period. Acute myeloid leukaemia saw its survival rate rise from 12% to 28%, and myeloma from 27% to 54%. Chronic myeloid leukaemia improved from 35% to 61%, non-Hodgkin lymphoma from 48% to 71%, and small intestine cancer from 39% to 61% .

Despite these improvements, survival rates remain low for certain cancers. For the most recent period (2019–2021), mesothelioma had a five-year net survival rate of 8%, and intrahepatic bile duct cancer was at 9%. Pancreatic cancer, despite gains, remains one of the most challenging, with a five-year survival rate of just 12% .

StatCan’s findings highlight the impact of advances in cancer treatment and early detection, while also underscoring the need for continued focus on cancers with persistently low survival rates.

High-income North America is among the top 5 regions in the world with the most cancer deaths from workplace carcinogens, according to a previous report.

How can employers support people with cancer in the workplace?

Employers can (and should) support their employees through cancer, according to insurance firm Marsh.

It notes that Identifying or detecting cancer is the first line of defense. Strategy considerations should include:

• Reviewing employee access to clinical preventive services globally. How are employees and their families able to get their recommended services? Are there obstacles to doing so, such as wait times, or lack of cover?
• Ensuring employees and their families can access clinical preventive services when employer-sponsored medical benefits are the means for doing so. Across worldwide employee populations, benefits such as preventive cancer screening and access to recommended vaccinations are considered very helpful.17 To that end, they should be designed to encourage take-up, rather than deter it.
• Providing employee education about the importance of lifestyle modification. Globally, smoking, alcohol use, poor diet and limited physical activity are top contributors to cancer.
• Linking employees to available public screening options. Private medical coverage may not be the best answer in all geographies.

Should workers contract cancer, employers should also support them through diagnosis and treatment. 

“The economic burden of cancer care worldwide is high and continues to grow,” says Marsh. “This directly impacts employer sponsors of health benefits globally and their existing and projected medical spend. It is vital that companies are clear about their local and global obligations (to employees, to communities, to the business and to shareholders) and act on them.”

With a cancer diagnosis, the long-term impact can be difficult for many working-age Canadians, according to a previous report.

_{Data from Statistics Canada}