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Home : Top Stories : Cancer was leading cause of death in 2008: StatsCan

Cancer was leading cause of death in 2008: StatsCan

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Date: Tuesday Nov. 1, 2011 9:09 PM ET

Statistics Canada says 2008 was the first year on record that cancer was the leading cause of death in every Canadian province and territory.

The statistics agency said Tuesday that cancer caused 30 per cent of all deaths in Canada that year, followed by heart disease (21 per cent) and strokes (6 per cent).

Rounding out the top ten causes of mortality were chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents (unintentional injuries), diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease and suicide.

These 10 leading causes accounted for 77 per cent of all of the 238,617 deaths that occurred in 2008.

StatsCan said there were observable trends in mortality in different age groups in the Canadian population.

For elder Canadians aged 85 and older, heart disease was the leading cause of death, while cancer claimed the most lives of people aged 35 to 84. Accidents, or unintentional injuries, caused the highest number of deaths of Canadians aged 1 to 34, while congenital abnormalities were the most deadly threat to children under 12 months of age.

StatsCan also named the top-three causes of death for Canadians aged 15 to 24: accidents, suicide and homicide.

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Karen (Calgary)
said
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Part of the problem with Cancer is that most doctors dismiss patients' initial symptoms. They attribute them to stress or weight issues or bad posture or whatever. Months, even years, go by before an accurate diagnosis is made and by then the cancer has spread and what could have cost only a few thousand dollars to treat will now end up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars …. with no guarantee that all of it is removed.


Charles regina
said
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Cancer cannot live in an alkaline environment. Carbonated beverages, chemicals and alcohol are all very acidic. Vegetables are alkaline, so is kangen water. H20 is neutral... but your body's blood level operates at a ph of ~7.4... Google Kangen water and do the math...!


reidjr
said
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Darlene Thompson This is part of the issue to many today think nothing will get them some don't see a need to get a check up every year and that is a big issue.


reidjr
said
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SophieThere has been some who say flu shots etc may not have the impact that first thought but to say if they stopped giving them cancer rates would go down that is reaching a bit.Vacine or not there are many many other key factors to cancer the logic ban vancines and that will cure everything well i just don't think there is any facts to back that up.


reidjr
said
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Chris As for paying for there medical bills keep in midn the goverment makes billions of dollars every year on smokers.As for going out side sure smokers are part of the issue but so are cars as well as factorys etc.


not amused
said
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I think some people are more predisposed to cancer through their genes than others. But I also feel it is environmental and what is around us, in our food, etc.. as well. I had a very healthy relative who never smoked, drank or did anything but ate vegetables and fruits and all healthy diets. They died at age 65, from what originally started as ovarian cancer, then when that went into remission, they got lung cancer and stomach cancer. I would love an explanation of how someone who wasn't ever around nor did anything bad to damage their body, could end up with lung cancer or stomach cancer, etc... And of course, everyone would naturally assumed she smoked, but she never did and no one did around her. She lived out in the boonies, and lived quite a simple life.


Jane
said
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Cancer is not new, but people live longer now, and there are things in our enviroment that seem to make it grow faster. Sometimes there are causes, sometimes not. There is a great book called "The Emporer of all Maladies" that talks about the history of cancer, and they found tumours in mummys. But they just did not know what it was back then. Yes, there is more of it now, but I personally am very thankful for our medical system, as I have had 2 kinds of cancer, and both were caught early. No, I don't smoke, etc. There is no history of cancer in my immediate family. It happened. And they treated me, and I feel blessed to live in Canada, with our medical care etc. Unfortunately, it has become a marketing tool, and the focus can be lost.


MD
said
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Sophie - you're a dolt. You are referring to a specific batch of vaccine that was given out in the 1950's - not 70's - that was contaminated with SV40. Yes, I'm sure people got cancer from it. But let me ask you - how many people have been saved from polio in that same time? From influenza? from Hepatitis? etc etc etc...I'm guessing that you work for a pharmaceutical company or are a nurse or a doctor or something since you say with authority that vaccines have formaldehyde in them. Right? And I'm guessing that being such an authority on the subject that you know the adsorptive dose required to produce a malignancy too huh..And btw - it's spelled "carcinogen".


Downey
said
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I don't see HIV/AIDS on that list anywhere. Why is there so much money spent on finding a cure for AIDS when there are other conditions that are causing more deaths, but less money is being spend on them? It's really sad!It's all because of media, Hollywood and political correctness. It's mostly a gay problem so that makes it trump all other problems in the eyes of Hollywood and the media.


A Koster
said
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Thomas, cancer is a relatively new disease in the scheme of things, and I am in agreement with you that it is environmental. Watch the documentary GasLand to get a clue as to what is going on with our food chain... and don't wonder for a second why Wiebo Ludwig in Alberta has been diagnosed recently with cancer.


Doug ^^^ BC
said
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Just a wee bit harsh "Wendy".But a whole lot of what you say is true.What started out as fund raising forr research has turned into a multi billion dollar industry.Imagine how many people would be out of work if cancer was cured over night. Not to sound callous,but how much of what we produce can we spend trying to keep people alive forever? And to what end? Are more people dying of cancer than before,or are we just better at diagnosing what killed someone? For all we know,cancer could have been rampant decades, or even centuries ago,but we just didn't have the knowledge to see it. As difficult as it is to lose a lovedd one to these diseases.As painful as it is to see children or anyone else suffering.The fact remains,that we are all going to die.Of course we should do what we can to cure diseases and relieve suffering.I just wonder,at what cost? Should we be willing to spend ALL that we produce on medical research to keep everyoine alive as long as is possible? Maybe.Maybe not.Imagine how much good we could do for the hungry and the home less is all that money had been used to build homes,or feed people. Tough issues.And people laughed when Sarah Palin talked about "death panels".I guess I laughed too.She is funny.But,with the cost of research rising,and the knowledge base we are accumulating growing quickly,her crass comment may one day prove to be not so far off the mark. Follow "JFJ",and live your life. Paranoia will destroy you if you let it.Accept the fact that you are mortal,and do the best you can with what ever cards you are dealt.


Not so fretting freddy the ferret
said
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Research, hygiene, medicine and all that has considerably lifted our average life spans to a staggering 70 to 80 years. While many diseases have been cured, others remain. Much effort has been done to extend the life span of a person suffering from an incurable disease. To say society hasn't progressed in these areas is to be blind and bitter as these shifted trends in diseases are natural in our prosperous society and are relatively new in the memory of human history.The efforts of research in diabetes has added 10 years of life to my grandma who eventually passed away due to some complications associated with her age. There comes a point in time which we have to accept the inevitable. The date that happens differs for every person, whether they be young or old. We just prefer it to be when they're a bit older.


fed up
said
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I am dying of heart disease and that is the second form of death in this country. I would put this no. 1 and cancer no.2 my loving father died of cancer and he suffered allot just like me . I am suffering allot because of heart disease and the medications I take is not a cure at all but a way to prolong my suffering to me and to my poor wife.


MrBob_58
said
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The leading cause of death is being born. You are going to die at sometime. Unless they have perfected immortality.


Darlene Thompson
said
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I am an 11 year breast cancer survivor. Early discovery does save lives. Early discovery also may greatly reduce the severity of treatments necessary…..We are in many ways responsible for our own health. We have to live healthy lifestyles, and make appointments for yearly medical exams.Most of all, we have to get mad at cancer…so mad that we declare war! We, the people of this world, should be fighting cancer not each other!!!!


taxpayer
said
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Duh, Where in the hell have these people been? I don't know about the rest of you but I've been at friends and families funerals who have died from cancer. It's an industry now. We are in so much trouble in Canada it's not even funny. No one listens.


Man
said
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When will people learn...You can not cure cancer!!! It is a mutation that happens inside of you and the only thing you can do is try to stop it by removing it or killing it. This is not a cure but a reaction to it happening. We might get better methods of finding it and stopping it from spreading but we will never cure it. So through all the money you want at research but you'll be doing it forever.


Mike Beard
said
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Cancer will rank right up there for a while yet. There's way too much money at risk to find a cure. Drug companies don't want a cure and look at the jobs that would be lost.....the cost is too high.


Doug
said
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My mother died from cancer in 75 and her sister two years later.So what exactly has all the billions of dollars in cancer funding done over the years?Nothing! Absolutely nothing?


Rose
said
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The more radiation, DU etc spewed onto the planet the more cancer and heart problems we will get. Nuclear fallout from Japan hit Canada, The DU used in wars fly's threw the air and also comes hear via the wind. Radiation caused all sorts of other illnesses as well. Will we never learn? Just because we are on the other side of the world doesn't mean we are not affected. All the bomb testing also affected us. It will for billions of years.But let us all put our heads in the sand and do nothing. Lets build more Nuclear plants Lets use more DU weapons. Lets just kill ourselves off slowly.


Don
said
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The age groups 15 to 24 that is mentioned that youths die from is to no surprise. They die in accidents (mostly vehicle) because we give them the wheel at a very young age which is 16... todays kids can't even make their beds at 16 but they are given a licence and a car, so what do you expect??? - then you have suicide and homicide, today's kids go to school with knives, guns, etc and have no fear in taking out someone. Again, this is the lack of parents keeping a tab on Johnny or Suzzie. Our court systems sucks and will protect the bad boy/girl and let them walk when they kill someone. As for suicide, being bullied will just do that as the majority of kids today are just plain senseless and can't even dress themselves. As for cancer, the elderly are living longer because they haven't been brought up in the chemical years like we have. The baby boomers may see mid 70's but the new kids will be lucky to see 40 or 50... sad indeed!!!


Richard
said
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....leading cause of death after 85? ... how about just getting old n cranky.

...elderly folk sometimes just get tired of life. My own mother 87, and she has no 'serious' ailments other than the aches and pains of age, says she's getting ready 'to go' because her quality of life has gone down so much.

...does there have to be a clinical 'reason' as to why people get old and pass on?


Cancer is my middle name
said
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I agree, cancer is caused by more than just how you eat or live. People of all walks of life, size and shape are dying of cancer. How does a child of only 2 or 3 years end up with cancer? How about a child of 7 with ovarian cancer? I suspect that the root cause is known and that the pharmacudical companies know much more than they are telling anyone. The companies make billions off of sick people and the more sick people, the more money hospitals, doctors, druggests and pharmacies make for the major players. Somewhere someone is doing a huge thesis and using us all as his/her guinea pig. I doubt with the billions of dollars raised every year by the Canadian Cancer Society and the US Cancer Society that a cure will ever be told. It is just too big of a business. Am I being sarcastic, you bet! I am a cancer patient, had chemo 3 different sessions, radiation and two surgeries. I have changed my eating habits and followed every doctor's directions to the letter. I went for yearly check ups and took all my shots, did everything a healthy person is suppose to do. I got cancer. I believe the answer is available but the real culprits don't want to share because they will be liable and go broke trying to explain why they did not tell people years ago.


Robert B
said
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Question??? Did anyone die from natural causes? such as cancer hearts stopping etc. etc.?


eopinion
said
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Food, water, land, and air all contain contaminants so it's probably a mixture of causes, both genetic and environmental. Researchers are doing what they can to find a cure, but people need to take personal responsibility and stop buying and using chemicals and demand a cleaner food supply free of pesticides etc. Get regular check-ups so you can catch your cancer early enough to treat it. I guess we provoked our own predator!


me
said
0 0

All this "'walk for the cure". Cancer Society says itself it is no longer looking for a cure. Scientists are complaining they are not getting the funding required by such societies to find a cure. Cancer Society says now it wants to treat cancer like a chronic condition you live with (didn't mention die from). Fact is WAAYYY too many people's payroll comes from cancer. Costs the patients a lot? That money goes into someone else's pocket. Cancer is an industry.


Chris
said
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I agree with everything written up til now on this blog but am surprised that no one is mentioning one of the leading causes of many cancers. Smoking. It is not possible (and hasn't been for MANY years) to take a nice walk downtown to get fresh air. You have to dodge smokers every step of the way - and many of us have to take indoor routes to get from here to there (which are often longer) or you end up walking out the door into hoards of smokers who do not respect the designated NON-smoking areas around office buildings. That we have to pay medical bills for these people still astonishes me. Talk about no responsibility for your actions! Statistics show what a strain it is on our funds but we're "too nice" to stand up and do anything about it.


JFJ
said
0 0

Enjoy life....


Jimmy Palmer
said
0 0

All we can do is wait for a cure. There are some promising treatments on the horizon with nano-technology for one. What people also forget is Cancer like Terry fox had 30 years ago and had to lose his leg, today is easily cured. Advanced take time but they do come. Positive thinking!


Wendy
said
0 0

Cancer will NEVER be cured, too many would lose money and jobs. We pour billions into research, and for what? where is all this money going and there is no cure and less support for people suffering from this disease than ever, dying from it, and now the government wants people to start paying for their meds? Its a scam and conspiracy. Many of my family has suffered from it. We are all subject to it, and there is no escaping it. all we can do is take care the best way we can and pray. :(


Sophie
said
0 0

If people opened their eyes and found out the truth about vaccines, I'm sure the cancer rate would go down!Researchers are only starting to find links between Polio vaccines given in the 70's eith today's cancers. The flu vaccine alone contain formaldehyde, a proven cancerigene!! Open up your eyes people and refuse to be poisoned any longer!!


River
said
0 0

Enviromental, food, chemical, crop spray, medications, additives cancer? whom is responsible for this?


John
said
0 0

This is the cause, that is the cause...People better start accepting the fact of life" That which is born, dies. No matter how healthy your lifestyle is, one day, you are going to die.


Lew in NS
said
0 0

I agree that cancer is definately the leading cause of deaths in Canada. What's not included in the article, is the reason it's the leading cause. The financial cost of medication, treatments, etc., is crushing. People can't afford to fight cancer in many cases.


Thomas
said
0 0

I do not think those responsible are telling us the whole story, in my personal experience as I am sure of most Canadian's personal experience, cancer is like at least 75% the cause of all deaths, in and of itself, period. There is something very wrong somewhere, I suspect it is environmental...


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