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Cancer incidence and mortality across Canada
L A Gaudette1, C A Altmayer, M Wysocki
1Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa.
Objectives:
This article analyses provincial and territorial patterns in incidence and mortality rates for selected cancer sites.
Data Sources:
Cancer incidence data were obtained from the National Cancer incidence Reporting System and from the Canadian Cancer Registry. Mortality data are from the Canadian Vital Statistics Data Base.
Analytical Techniques:
Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were calculated for Canada and each province/territory for men and women for major cancer sites for the 1991-1993 period.
Main Results:
Geographic variations in cancer incidence and mortality rates are strongly influenced by trends in the four leading cancers: lung, colorectal, prostate and breast. Cancer rates tended to be significantly high in Quebec and Nova Scotia and significantly low in the three westernmost provinces. These patterns generally reflect provincial/territorial variations in smoking prevalence, dietary habits, and the extent of cancer control programs, such as screening.