Ontario Cancer Facts are short monthly fact sheets intended to increase knowledge about cancer and its risk modifiers in Ontario. These fact sheets are generally one page, focusing on one idea and one simple graph.

• View the current Cancer Fact: Bacteria and cancer: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) (Aug. 2010)

Ontario Cancer Facts often coincide with public cancer/health campaigns (national non-smoking week, sun awareness week, breast cancer awareness month, for example). They may show new cancer patterns, demonstrate areas where research is needed (such as the increasing incidence of thyroid cancer), show the effects of interventions (like cervical screening), and provide an opportunity to discuss rare cancers in the province or cancer trends in specific population groups.

Data typically originate from several sources including the Ontario Cancer Registry, Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) publications, or from Canadian, provincial or regional health surveys.

Ontario Cancer Facts are intended for people whose work relates to cancer or other chronic diseases.

Readers may subscribe to receive Ontario Cancer Facts directly by e-mail.

Brain and other central nervous system

• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)
• The most fatal cancers in Ontario (Nov. 2005)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)

Breast (for more information, see Insight on Cancer – news and information on breast cancer and screening in Ontario released October 2007)

• Diagnosis of breast cancer occurs at a later stage among First Nations women in Ontario (June 2010)
  
• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
• Looking back: fifty years of cancer deaths in Ontario (Dec 2008)
• Influence of family history and genetics on breast cancer risk (May 2008)
• The most common cancers diagnosed in Ontario (Apr. 2008)
• Alcohol consumption and cancer risk (Feb. 2008)
• Prevalence of cancer in 2004 (Nov. 2007)
• Breast cancer incidence stable in Ontario, mortality declining (Oct. 2007)
• Survival improved for Ontario's common cancers (May 2007)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Breast cancer survival improved for every age group (Oct. 2006)
• Which common cancers have the most rapidly changing mortality rates? (Apr. 2006)

Cervix (for more information, see Insight on Cancer – news and information on cervical cancer released October 2005)

• Long-term decline in cervical cancer incidence continues (Dec. 2009)
• Changing trends in cervical cancer subtypes (Oct. 2005)

Children and young adults

• Colorectal cancer incidence increasing among adolescents and young adults (Aug. 2009)
• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
• Cancers of children and adolescents and young adults differ from adult cancers (Nov. 2008)
• Sun protection low in children and young adults (June 2008)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)
• Hodgkin lymphoma incidence highest in young adults and elderly (May 2006)
• Osteosarcoma in children and adolescents (Sept. 2005)

Colorectal

• Colorectal cancer subsite distribution differs by sex (Apr. 2010)
• Colorectal cancer incidence increasing among adolescents and young adults (Aug. 2009)
• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
  
• New cases of colorectal cancer increasing in Ontario (Mar. 2009)
• The most common cancers diagnosed in Ontario (Apr. 2008)
  
• Alcohol consumption and cancer risk (Feb. 2008)
• Prevalence of cancer in 2004 (Nov. 2007)
• Survival improved for Ontario's common cancers (May 2007)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Colorectal cancer survival improving in Ontario (Mar. 2007)
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)
• Which common cancers have the most rapidly changing mortality rates? (Apr. 2006)
• Colorectal cancer subsite differs by age at diagnosis (Mar. 2006)
• Colorectal cancer increasing in Ontario First Nations people (Mar. 2005)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)

Diet

• Prevent cancer through food, nutrition and physical activity - evidence based recommendations and strategies (Feb. 2009)
  

Endometrial

• Survival improved for Ontario's common cancers (May 2007)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Endometrial cancer on the rise in older women, falling in younger women (Feb. 2007)

Environment

• Residential radon exposure, lung cancer risk and radon action levels (Feb. 2006; updated Dec. 2007)
• Sun safety and vitamin D (June 2006)
• Air pollution, fine particulate matter and lung cancer (July 2005)
• A model for occupational carcinogen exposure surveillance in Ontario (May 2005)
• Rise in mesothelioma cases reflects past asbestos use (Nov. 2004)
• Understanding the UV index can help you reduce your risk of skin cancer (June 2004)

Esophageal

• Changing patterns of esophageal cancer: adenocarcinoma on the rise (July 2008)

Infectious agents

• Bacteria and cancer: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) (Aug. 2010)
• Viral infections and cancer (July 2010)
• Long-term decline in cervical cancer incidence continues (Dec. 2009)

Kidney

• Long-term rises in kidney cancer incidence (Dec. 2007)

Leukemia

• Survival improved for Ontario's common cancers (May 2007)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)

Liver

• Alcohol consumption and cancer risk (Feb. 2008)
• Increase in liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer rates in Ontario (Aug. 2006)
• Which common cancers have the most rapidly changing mortality rates? (Apr. 2006)
• The most fatal cancers in Ontario (Nov. 2005)

Lung

• Changing rates in lung cancer reflect past levels of cigarette smoking (Jan. 2010)
  
• Ontarians with the most education have the lowest smoking levels (July 2009)
• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
  
• Impact of smoking on cancer mortality trends in Ontario (Jan. 2009)
• Looking back: fifty years of cancer deaths in Ontario (Dec 2008)
• The most common cancers diagnosed in Ontario (Apr. 2008)
• Lung cancer continues to be the biggest cancer killer in Ontario (Jan. 2008)
• Prevalence of cancer in 2004 (Nov. 2007)
• Survival improved for Ontario's common cancers (May 2007)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Fewer Ontario teens are smokers (Jan. 2007)
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)
• Which common cancers have the most rapidly changing mortality rates? (Apr. 2006)
• Residential radon exposure, lung cancer risk and radon action levels (Feb. 2006)
• Lung cancer rates now higher in young women than young men (Jan. 2006)
• The most fatal cancers in Ontario (Nov. 2005)
• Air pollution, fine particulate matter and lung cancer (July 2005)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)

Lymphomas

• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
• Survival improved for Ontario's common cancers (May 2007)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)
• Hodgkin lymphoma incidence highest in young adults and elderly (May 2006)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)

Melanoma

• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
• Increasing melanoma incidence rates for White people in Ontario (June 2007)
• Survival improved for Ontario's common cancers (May 2007)
• The facts about tanning equipment and skin cancer (Dec. 2006)
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)
• Skin cancer is the most common cancer (June 2005)

Occupational

• Occupational Cancer Research Centre’s stakeholder community identifies research priorities (Mar. 2010)
• Continued rise in new cases of mesothelioma (Sept. 2009)
• A model for occupational carcinogen exposure surveillance in Ontario (May 2005)
• Rise in mesothelioma cases reflects past asbestos use (Nov. 2004)

Ontario First Nations/Aboriginal people

• Diagnosis of breast cancer occurs at a later stage among First Nations women in Ontario (June 2010)
• Modifiable cancer risk factors among off-reserve Aboriginal Ontarians (Sept. 2008)
• Colorectal cancer increasing in Ontario First Nations people (Mar. 2005)

Ovary

• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)
• Ovarian cancer survival improving but still low (Oct. 2003)

Pancreas

• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Which common cancers have the most rapidly changing mortality rates? (Apr. 2006)
• The most fatal cancers in Ontario (Nov. 2005)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)
• Male pancreatic cancer rates down in past 30 years (June 2003)

Physical Activity

• Prevent cancer through food, nutrition and physical activity - evidence based recommendations and strategies (Feb. 2009)
  

Prostate

• Prostate cancer mortality - lowest rate in the past 25 years (November 2009)
• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
• Looking back: fifty years of cancer deaths in Ontario (Dec 2008)
• The most common cancers diagnosed in Ontario (Apr. 2008)
• Prostate cancer still on the rise (March 2008)
• Prevalence of cancer in 2004 (Nov. 2007)
• Survival improved for Ontario's common cancers (May 2007)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Which common cancers have the most rapidly changing mortality rates? (Apr. 2006)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)

Stomach

• Looking back: fifty years of cancer deaths in Ontario (Dec 2008)
• Survival improved for Ontario's common cancers (May 2007)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• The most fatal cancers in Ontario (Nov. 2005)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)

Sun

• Sun protection low in children and young adults (June 2008)
• The facts about tanning equipment and skin cancer (Dec. 2006)
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)
• Sun safety and vitamin D (June 2006)
• Skin cancer is the most common cancer (updated June 2005)
• Understanding the UV index can help you reduce your risk of skin cancer (June 2004)

Survival

• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
• Impact of smoking on cancer mortality trends in Ontario (Jan. 2009)
• Prevalence of cancer in 2004 (Nov. 2007)
• Survival improved for Ontario's common cancers (May 2007)
• Colorectal cancer survival improving in Ontario (Mar. 2007)
• Breast cancer survival improved for every age group (Oct. 2006)
• The most fatal cancers in Ontario (Nov. 2005)
• Ovarian cancer survival improving but still low (Oct. 2003)

Testis

• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
• Testicular cancer is most common in young men (Aug. 2007)
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)

Thyroid

• Thyroid cancer incidence increasing in Ontario (Feb. 2010)
  
• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)
• Thyroid cancer most common in young women (Feb. 2005)

Tobacco

• Changing rates in lung cancer reflect past levels of cigarette smoking (Jan. 2010)
  
• Ontarians with the most education have the lowest smoking levels (July 2009)
  
• Impact of smoking on cancer mortality trends in Ontario (Jan. 2009)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Fewer Ontario teens are smokers (Jan. 2007)
• Lung cancer rates now higher in young women than young men (Jan. 2006)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)
• Increasing the tobacco tax saves lives (Jan. 2004)

Other cancers

• Continued rise in new cases of mesothelioma (Sept. 2009)
• Alcohol consumption and cancer risk (Feb. 2008)
  
• Most common cancers in young men (Sept. 2006)
• Rise in mesothelioma cases reflects past asbestos use (Nov. 2004)
• Understanding the UV Index can help you reduce your risk of skin cancer (June 2004)
• Skin cancer is the most common cancer (June 2005)

Cancers: general

• Population aging and growth main contributors to increasing cancer burden (May 2010)
• Readers find Ontario Cancer Facts useful (Oct. 2009)
• Cancer survival varies with age and has improved over time (Apr 2009)
• Impact of smoking on cancer mortality trends in Ontario (Jan. 2009)
• Looking back: fifty years of cancer deaths in Ontario (Dec 2008)
• The most common cancers diagnosed in Ontario (Apr. 2008)
• Prevalence of cancer in 2004 (Nov. 2007)
• Years of life lost to cancer in Ontario (Apr. 2007)
• Which common cancers have the most rapidly changing mortality rates? (Apr. 2006)
• The most fatal cancers in Ontario (Nov. 2005)
• Premature cancer deaths in Ontario (Oct. 2004)
• Increasing the tobacco tax saves lives (Jan. 2004)

Other general causes

• Viral infections and cancer (July 2010)
• Alcohol consumption and cancer risk (Feb. 2008)
• Residential radon exposure, lung cancer risk and radon action levels (Feb. 2006)