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Canada’s cancer rates are declining — but advocates want more support amid COVID-19 – Global News

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Cancer rates continue to decline in Canada, according to a new study, but with thousands of Canadians expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year, there are calls for more investment and support in the country.

Projected data published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) on Monday showed that there will be an estimated 233,900 new cancer cases and 85,100 cancer deaths in Canada in 2022.

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This represents a slight increase from last year’s estimates due to a growing and ageing population, researchers say.

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The study was done by the Canadian Cancer Society, Statistics Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Overall, lung cancer is expected to be the most commonly diagnosed and the leading cause of cancer deaths, accounting for one-quarter of all deaths from cancer in the country this year.

The increased use of tobacco over the past few decades is a contributing factor, said Elizabeth Holmes, senior manager of health policy at the Canadian Cancer Society and an author of the study.


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The most common cancer diagnosis in women is projected to be breast, with about one in four cancer diagnoses and in men, prostate cancer, accounting for about one in five new cases.

While there have been advancements in treatments in recent years, more needs to be done to reduce the number of cancer cases and deaths, said Holmes.

“We’re really calling for that continued investment and support in those innovative research studies to improve treatment and early detection … to increase the uptake and access of existing screening programs, as well as implement new ones,” she told Global News.

Holmes said the government also needs to increase access to support programs and come up with a comprehensive and co-ordinated action plan to address the impact of cancer in Canada.

COVID-19 pandemic

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada and it is estimated that about two in five Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in cancer screenings, procedures and treatments across the country.

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There are concerns this could lead to many cancer cases going undiagnosed or detected at an advanced stage.

“I definitely have questions about the undiagnosed cases from the last two years and the impact that’s going to have on the lives of patients — young and old — and specifically those who have or will ultimately receive a diagnosis,” said Geoff Eaton, a two-time cancer survivor and executive director of Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC).

“A lot of cancers are much more difficult to manage the later they’re detected,” he told Global News.


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A study published in the International Journal of Cancer in November 2021 suggested pandemic associated delays in Canada could result in about 20,000 additional deaths from cancer over the next decade.

Another more recent study published in the CMAJ in March showed that cancer surgery delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic could affect long-term survival for many patients.

Read more:

Cancer surgery delays caused by COVID-19 could lead to shorter life spans: study

Apart from the physical toll, Eaton says two years of isolation and lockdowns have also compounded challenges for cancer patients in Canada.

“COVID stopped a lot of things in our life, but certainly did not stop cancer or its complications or the need for survivors to continue to figure out how they keep living and moving forward in their life.”

In a July 2021 survey published in the Lancet medical journal, 74 per cent of cancer patients in Canada reported that the delays had a major impact on their mental and emotional well-being.

Support for cancer patients

Eaton started Young Adult Cancer Canada in 2000 after his first diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. He has had two bone marrow transplants in his 20s, but hasn’t been in active treatment for over 20 years now.

His non-profit organization is providing support services to a community of some 5,000 teenagers, as well as others in their 20s and 30s.

Read more:

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He said more resources need to be allocated for longer-term support and recovery for cancer patients so they can transition back out of treatment into the next phase of their lives.

“The challenge that I see in our system right now is we have focused so heavily on screening and treatment phases and we have virtually forgotten about the rest of the patient’s life,” Eaton said.

“The advances [in treatment and screening] are welcomed and important, but I think an adjustment of our priorities is critical.”


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Cancer rates and new cases are projected to be higher for men than women, according to the CMAJ study.

Holmes encouraged Canadians to adopt a healthy lifestyle by being physically active, eating well, limiting alcohol, refraining from smoking and practising sun safety.

For early detection, she advised getting any change in their body checked by a health-care provider and staying up to date with regular screenings.

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Measles case reported locally turns out to be negative: health unit

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NEWS RELEASE
SIMCOE MUSKOKA DISTRICT HEALTH UNIT
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On March 26, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) was notified by Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) laboratory that due to laboratory error, the case of measles that had been lab-confirmed positive on March 12, based on symptoms and a positive urine measles laboratory result by PHO’s laboratory, is in fact negative for the measles virus.

“With this new information of the negative lab result, we believe that that individual was not infected with measles and that there has not been any public exposure to measles resulting from this individual’s illness,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health. “We recognize that notifying the public of what we believed to be a positive measles case in our area created worry, anxiety and disruption for some, and we regret this.

“We do know that, despite best efforts, on rare occasions laboratory errors can occur. We are working closely with the PHO’s laboratory to do all that we can to ensure that such an incident does not occur again.”

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads very easily through airborne transmission. The measles virus can live in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours.

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Symptoms of measles begin seven to 21 days after exposure and include fever, runny nose, cough, drowsiness, and red eyes. Small white spots appear on the inside of the mouth and throat but are not always present. Three to seven days after symptoms begin, a red, blotchy rash appears on the face and then progresses down the body.

The risk of transmission to those vaccinated with two doses is low, and when it does occur tends to show a reduction in the severity of these symptoms.

“Although we are relieved for the individual involved, and for all Simcoe-Muskoka residents, that this case has now been confirmed as negative, we know that measles is still active in Ontario at this time and the potential remains for new cases to arise, especially given the increase in Ontarians travelling to areas in the world that have higher numbers of measles cases,” said Dr. Gardner. “This is why we continue to advise individuals to keep up to date with their routine immunizations, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination.”

The risk of measles is low for people who have been fully immunized with two doses of measles vaccine or those born before 1970; however, many children have been delayed in receiving their routine childhood immunizations and people who have not had two doses of measles vaccine are at higher risk of contracting the disease.

People who do get sick usually recover without treatment, but measles can be more severe for infants, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. Possible complications include middle-ear infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, or encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and occasionally death in the very young. Even individuals who are up to date with the measles vaccine should watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days after exposure.

For more information about measles, please visit smdhu.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520, Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to speak with a public health professional.

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Kate Middleton Not Alone. Cancer On Rise For People Under 50, Say Experts

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Kate Middleton revealed on Friday that her cancer was discovered after she received abdominal surgery

London:

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When Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed she was being treated for cancer last week, part of the shock was that an otherwise healthy 42-year-old has a disease that mostly plagues older people.

However, researchers have been increasingly sounding the alarm that more and more people under 50 are getting cancer — and no one knows why.

Across the world, the rate of under-50s diagnosed with 29 common cancers surged by nearly 80 percent between 1990 and 2019, a large study in BMJ Oncology found last year.

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The researchers predicted the number of new cancer cases among younger adults will rise another 30 percent by the end of this decade, with wealthy countries particularly affected.

The increase in cases — and soaring global population — means that the number of deaths among under 50s from cancer has risen by nearly 28 percent over the last 30 years.

This occurred even as the odds of people of all ages surviving cancer have roughly doubled over the last half century.

Shivan Sivakumar, a cancer researcher at the UK’s University of Birmingham, called it an “epidemic” of young adult cancer.

Since Kate Middleton revealed on Friday that her cancer was discovered after she received abdominal surgery earlier this year, Sivakumar and other doctors have spoken out about the uptick in younger cancer patients they have been seeing at their clinics.

While breast cancer remains the most common for people under 50, the researchers expressed particular concern about the rise of gastrointestinal cancers — such as of the colon, pancreas, liver and oesophagus — in younger adults.

Colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in men under 50 in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. For women, it is number two — behind only breast cancer.

One high profile case of colorectal cancer was “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman, who died at the age of 43 in 2020.

Why is this happening?

“We just don’t have the evidence yet” to say exactly what is causing this rise, Sivakumar told AFP, adding it was likely a combination of factors.

Helen Coleman, a cancer epidemiology professor at Queen’s University Belfast who has studied early onset cancer in Northern Ireland, told AFP there were two potential explanations.

One is that people in their 40s were exposed to factors known to cause cancer — such tobacco smoke, alcohol or being obese — at an earlier age than previous generations.

She pointed out that the “obesity epidemic” did not start until the 1980s.

Sivakumar felt that at least part of the puzzle could be explained by obesity.

However, there is “another wave” of under-50 patients who are neither obese nor genetically predisposed still getting cancer, he emphasised, adding that this could not be put down to “statistical chance”.

The other theory, Coleman said, is that “something different” has been going on with her generation.

Fingers have been pointed out a range of possible culprits — including chemicals, new drugs and microplastics — but none have been proven.

Some have suggested that so-called ultra-processed foods could be to blame. “But there’s very little data to back any of that up,” Coleman said.

Another theory is that the food we eat could be changing our gut microbiome.

While there is nothing conclusive yet, Coleman said her own research suggested that cancer causes changes to the microbiome, not the other way around.

Anti-vaxx conspiracy theorists have even tried to blame Covid-19 vaccines.

This is easily disproven, because the rise in young adult cancer has taken place over decades, but the vaccines have only been around for a few years.

What can be done?

To address the rise in younger colorectal cancer, in 2021 the US lowered the recommended age for screening to 45. Other countries have yet to follow suit.

But the researchers hoped that Catherine’s experience would remind people at home that they should consult their doctor if they sense anything is wrong.

“People know their bodies really well,” Sivakumar said.

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“If you really feel that something isn’t right, don’t delay — just get yourself checked out.”

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Almost 3,000 students suspended in Waterloo Region over immunization issues

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Close to 3,000 children attending elementary school across Waterloo Region were suspended from school on Wednesday morning for not having up-to-date immunization records.

The region says Waterloo Public Health suspended 2,969 students under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).

For several months, the region has been campaigning for people to get their children’s vaccinations up to date, including sending letters home to parents on a couple of occasions, warning that students’ records needed to be up to date or they would be suspended.

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It announced in January that 32,000 students did not have up-to-date records: 22,000 elementary students and 10,000 high school students.


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“We have made remarkable progress from the original 27,567 immunization notices we sent to parents in November and December 2023,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, stated.

“Since that time, we have resolved more than 24,500 outdated vaccination records, providing students with valuable protection against these serious and preventable diseases.”

The high school students still have a few weeks to get their records up to date or else face suspension.

The ISPA requires students to have proof-of-vaccination records for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox) and meningitis, which must be on file with public health.

Public health says caregivers whose children are suspended will need to book an appointment at regionofwaterloo.ca/vaccines for clinics, which will be held in Cambridge and Waterloo on weekdays.

“Given the high number of suspensions, it may take several days before you can be seen at an appointment and return your child to school,” a release from the region warns.

“Record submission and questions must be done in person to ensure immediate resolution.”

The last time suspensions over immunizations were issued was in 2019, when 1,032 students were suspended.

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