The Chief Public Health Office has released the 1980-2009 Cancer Trends Report for Prince Edward Island, which going forward will help guide government policy decisions regarding cancer care, says Health and Wellness Minister Doug Currie.
“With the increasing age of our Island population, we have seen the number of people diagnosed with cancer over the past 30 years go up; however, in general, people are living longer with cancer,” said Minister Currie. “This is an important document, using good, accurate data. It provides us with a clear, realistic picture of our current cancer rates, and it will help us to make appropriate policy decisions going forward.”
“This report really highlights the fact that Prince Edward Island does have an aging population,” said Dr. Carol McClure, Chronic Disease Epidemiologist. “We are going to see a high incidence of cancer in the years to come because people are getting older and age is a risk factor for cancer. We also need to realize that Islanders have many risk factors that are contributing to the increasing number of new cases of cancer.”
The data presented in this report comes from the provincial Cancer Registry, and it is a first step in understanding cancer trends in Islanders. Over half of all new cancers and cancer deaths in Prince Edward Island are from lung, colorectal, prostate and breast cancers.
“While significant improvements have been made in the area of cancer prevention, there is much more work to be done,” said Minister Currie. “We have already put in place the Smoke Free Places Act, increased screening programs for colorectal and breast cancers, expanded the Cancer Treatment Centre and the cancer patient navigator program, and this year we hope to pass new legislation on tanning beds restrictions. We know there is still more to be done, and we will be creating a task group to review this document and make further recommendations as to where we need to focus next in cancer care.”
The Cancer Trends Report is a 65-page scientific document which outlines the cancer cases diagnosed from 1980 to 2009 in Prince Edward Island. The Report is compiled every five years. Data for the Report is provided by the provincial Cancer Registry.
Backgrounder available, Cancer Trends.