Lung cancer: 20,100 deaths; 26.5 per cent. Smoking cigarettes and use of other tobacco products are the major causes of the No. 1 fatal cancer. It strikes most often between the ages of 55 and 65. Packaging for Canadian cigarettes features a health warning with Edmonton cancer victim Barb Tarbox.
Colorectal cancer: 9,200 deaths; 12.1 per cent. Colon cancer grows in the tissues of the colon; rectal cancer grows in the last few inches of the large intestine near the anus. Most cases begin as clumps of small, benign cells called polyps that over time become cancerous. Screening is recommended to find the polyps before they become cancerous. Shoppers in a Saskatoon mall had a chance to make their way through a 15-metre-long, three-metre high colon in a Livestrong display promoting awareness about colorectal cancer.
Breast cancer: 5,200 deaths; 6.9 per cent. Breast cancer usually forms in the ducts that carry milk to the nipple or the glands that produce the milk in women but can occur in men. Here a radiologist checks mammograms, which seem to have assisted in detection and reduced the mortality rate of the disease.
Pancreatic cancer: 4,300 deaths; 5.7 per cent. This cancer begins in the tissues of the pancreas, which aids digestion and metabolism regulation. Detection and early intervention are difficult because it often progressives stealthily and rapidly, according to the Mayo Clinic. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs died in October, 2001, a victim of pancreatic cancer.
Prostate cancer: 4,000 deaths; 5.3 per cent. This cancer usually starts to grow slowly in the prostate gland, which produces the seminal fluid to transport sperm. Some types remain confined to the gland, and are easier to treat, but others are more aggressive and spread quickly. Early detection and treatment almost always brings this cancer to a halt. Here Dr. Ismail Peer and registered nurse Debra St. Louis display a flexible sigmoidoscope used for examinations at a Windsor, Ont., hospital where nurses have been trained to perform some procedures.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: 2,800 deaths; 3.7 per cent. This cancer affects the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, and is characterized by larger lymph nodes, fever and weight loss. There are several types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and they are categorized by whether the cancer is fast- or slow-growing and which type of lymphocytes are affected. Then-Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu acknowledges the crowd as he receives a standing ovation on returning to the game following seven months of treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Leukemia: 2,600 deaths; 3.4 per cent. There are many types of leukemia, but all affect the blood-forming tissues of the body, such as the bone marrow and the lymphatic system, and result in an overproduction of abnormal white blood cells, according to the NCI. Leukemia types are classified by how fast they progress and which cells they affect. The disease often attacks young people.
Stomach cancer: 2,100 deaths; 2.8 per cent. By the time symptoms of stomach cancer occur, the cancer has often reached an advanced stage and may have also metastasized, which is one of the main reasons for its relatively poor prognosis.
Bladder cancer: 2,100 deaths; 2.8 per cent. Tobacco smoking is the main known contributor to urinary bladder cancer; in most populations, smoking is associated with over half of bladder cancer cases in men and one-third of cases among women. Dr. Thomas Sansone, a urologist at Bryn Mawr, Penn., Hospitaal shows a model of a prostate and bladder.
Esophageal cancer: 1,850 deaths; 2.4 per cent. Difficulty swallowing and painful swallowing are the most common symptoms of esophageal cancer. Another sign may be an unusually husky, raspy, or hoarse-sounding cough, a result of the tumour affecting the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Most diagnosed with esophageal cancer have late-stage disease, because people usually do not have significant symptoms until half of the inside of the esophagus is obstructed, by which point the tumor is fairly large. Tobacco smoking and heavy alcohol use increase the risk, and together appear to increase the risk more than either individually. Celebrated author and and political pundit Christopher Hitchens, an unrepentant smoker and drinker, died of the disease in December, 2011.
Brain cancer: 1,850; 2.4 per cent. Benign brain tumours are abnormal collections of cells that reproduce slowly and usually remain separate from the surrounding normal brain. They grow slowly, do not spread to other parts of the brain and can usually be removed more easily than malignant tumours. Malignant tumours reproduce and grow quickly. Their borders are hard to distinguish from the normal brain around them, which is why it is hard to remove them completely without damaging the surrounding brain. Using a mobile phone may increase your risk for certain kinds of brain cancers, according to a World Health Organization report.