Many Experience Future Health Issues; More Research Needed
Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 Released by Canadian Cancer Society
TORONTO, April 9 /CNW/ - More Canadian children with cancer are
surviving, according to Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 released today by the
Canadian Cancer Society. For the first time, a special section in this year's
report focuses on children with cancer from birth to 14 years of age.
Although rare, cancer is the leading cause of death from disease in
Canadian children over one month of age, second only to accidents. Each year,
approximately 850 Canadian children between birth and 14 years of age develop
cancer, and about 135 die from the disease.
For all childhood cancers combined, the five-year survival is estimated
to be 82 per cent - an increase of 11 per cent over 15 years.
"More children surviving cancer is welcome news," says Heather Logan,
Director, Cancer Control Policy, Canadian Cancer Society. "However, many
survivors experience future health issues, called late effects, either as a
result of the cancer or the treatment. An important challenge now is to find
out more about these late health effects through research."
Dr. Paul Grundy, a pediatric oncologist, says that about two-thirds of
children with cancer will have at least one late effect from their treatment,
and about one-third are serious. "They are at increased risk of physical and
mental health issues, as well as the possible development of secondary
cancers," says Grundy, who is also chair of C17 Research Network, which
focuses solely on childhood cancer.
Late effects can appear months or years after treatment has ended. The
most common late effects among childhood cancer survivors are complications
with hormone levels and metabolic function (for example, infertility or
delayed puberty). The ability to think and reason may also be affected, which
can lead to challenges at school. Other late effects include trouble with how
certain organs function (heart, lungs, stomach, intestines) and an increased
risk of developing a second type of cancer.
"Due to previous poor survival of children with cancer, there was limited
opportunity to study survivors as they aged," says Logan. "As treatments have
changed and improved, research is needed to understand what survivors of
childhood cancer may face and what's needed to support them."
Impacts beyond treatment
A cancer diagnosis profoundly affects both the children and their
families.
"Having a child with cancer is a difficult journey that can have many
impacts beyond treatment," says Grundy. "Children and their families can
require ongoing physical and emotional support, as well as healthcare. It also
has financial impacts as parents may have to work less or stop altogether to
care for the child, often for prolonged periods."
Research
Childhood cancer research has led to significant progress, most notably
in the decline of death rates and improved survival.
"Cooperative, collaborative clinical trials throughout North America have
been key to progress," says Grundy. "Pooling resources ensures enough children
participate in trials to achieve effective results in a timely way."
Nearly 80 per cent of children with cancer are either enrolled in a
clinical trial or treated according to a protocol established by a clinical
trial. The majority of clinical trials in North America operate through the
Children's Oncology Group (COG). All 17 of Canada's pediatric cancer centres
throughout Canada belong to COG.
Several years ago, the Directors of the 17 pediatric cancer centres
formally established the C17 Council with support from the Childhood Cancer
Foundation-Candlelighters Canada. The research arm of the Council - the C17
Research Network - has enabled two to four pan-Canadian studies a year to be
funded.
Terry's story
In the 1960s, Terry Hoddinott lost his sight to retinoblastoma, a rare
form of eye cancer that attacks the retina of infants and young children. It
is an inherited disease that is often passed down from parent to child.
"Little was known about retinoblastoma when I was a child," says Terry.
"But in the 1980s, researchers began closing in on ways to fight this cancer."
Terry's older child, 11-year-old Riley, inherited the mutated gene that
causes retinoblastoma. But because of early diagnosis and intensive treatment,
Riley kept his sight in one eye. A few years later, Riley's little sister,
9-year-old Katie, was diagnosed before she was born. She was treated early and
now she has two perfect eyes.
"Research helped save three of my children's four eyes," says Terry, who
does computer support for Bell Canada in London, Ontario.
"Research will continue to be key to improving diagnosis and treatment
and hearing more stories like Terry's," says Logan. "Our ultimate goal is that
research will lead to more answers about prevention so that fewer children and
their families have to face a cancer diagnosis."
Childhood cancer highlights- Since 1985, there has been a dramatic decline in childhood cancer
death rates (dropping from approximately 40 to 20 per million
children(*)).
- Childhood cancer incidence rates have remained relatively stable
since 1985.
- Accurate diagnosis and treatment are the most effective ways of
controlling childhood cancer.
- Little is known about what causes childhood cancer, which limits
opportunities for prevention.
Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 highlights
- This year approximately 166,400 Canadians will be diagnosed with
cancer and about 73,800 will die from the disease.
- The five-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined is
62 per cent (excluding Quebec(xx)).
- Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death for men and
women.
- Almost 40 per cent of Canadian women and almost 45 per cent of men
will develop cancer during their lifetimes.
- About 24 percent of women and almost 29 per cent of men, or
approximately 1 out of every 4 Canadians, will die from cancer.Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 is prepared, printed and distributed
through a collaboration of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health
Agency of Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Statistics Canada,
provincial/territorial cancer registries, as well as university-based and
provincial/territorial cancer agency-based cancer researchers.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of
volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of
the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more
about cancer, visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free,
bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.- For more information about Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008, visit the
Society's website at www.cancer.ca
- An audio webcast is available of the media conference at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=107109&s=1&k=1AEC4FEF0575B4EDE697A3C1B555835E
- The webcast can also be accessed after the conference take places
as it will be archived.
- (*) Rates for childhood cancer are expressed per million per year
due to the rarity of the disease.
- (xx) Data from Quebec have been excluded, in part, because the
method of ascertaining the date of cancer diagnosis differs
from the method used by other registries.
Media backgrounder (1 of 7): Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008
Childhood Cancer in Canada: Fast Facts
--------------------------------------
- Overall incidence of childhood cancer has remained relatively stable
since 1985 (varying from 144 to 159 per one million(*) children).
- Overall cancer incidence rates are highest among young children
(birth to four years of age). Incidence rates are lower and
similar for children aged five to nine and 10 to 14 years of age.
- Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, accounting for
33 per cent of new cases and 27 per cent of deaths each year.
- Cancers of the central nervous system are the second most common
childhood cancer, accounting for about 20 per cent of new cases
and 30 per cent of deaths.
- Lymphomas are the third most common, accounting for 12 per cent of
new cases and five per cent of deaths.
- Since 1985, there has been a dramatic decline in childhood cancer
death rates (dropping from approximately 40 to 20 per million
children(*)).
- Overall, childhood cancer occurs more commonly in boys than girls.
Prevention
- Little is known about what causes childhood cancer, which limits
opportunities for prevention.
- Some genetic abnormalities and inherited diseases are associated with
a higher risk of childhood cancer (such as Down syndrome).
- Chemotherapeutic drugs, radiotherapy, or exposure in the womb to
ionizing radiation or diethylstilbestrol (DES) are a few of the
better established risk factors for childhood cancer. However, they
account for only a small percentage of all cases.
Screening
- Screening for childhood tumours has not proven effective. This is
mainly due to the short latency period of the disease (amount of time
from exposure to onset of cancer) and because the cancers are
typically fast growing.
Diagnosis and treatment
- Accurate diagnosis and treatment are the most effective ways of
controlling cancer in children.
- Definitive diagnosis and treatment for children with cancer is
available at one of 17 specialized pediatric cancer centres in
Canada.
- In general, for Canadian children with cancer, the start of treatment
occurs rapidly after diagnosis. The average wait time is 17 days, but
is even faster for younger children.
- Collaborative clinical trials for treatment for childhood cancers
have been crucial in advancing progress.
Palliative care
- While the majority of children with cancer become long-term
survivors, many children continue to die from this disease.
- Knowledge about palliative care in pediatric oncology remains
underdeveloped.Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 is prepared, printed and distributed
through a collaboration of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health
Agency of Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Statistics Canada,
provincial/territorial cancer registries, as well as university-based and
provincial/territorial cancer agency-based cancer researchers.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of
volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of
the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more
about cancer, visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free,
bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.(*) Rates for childhood cancer are expressed per million per year due to
the rarity of the disease.
- For more information about Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008, visit the
Society's website at www.cancer.ca
- An audio webcast is available of the media conference at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=107109&s=1&k=1AEC4FEF0575B4EDE697A3C1B555835E
- The webcast can also be accessed after the conference take places
as it will be archived.
Media backgrounder (2 of 7): Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008
Childhood Cancer in Canada: Late Effects
----------------------------------------
- Progress in the treatment of childhood cancer now means that
approximately 82 per cent of children with cancer survive at least
five years after diagnosis. This increase in survivors has led to a
need to monitor survivors of childhood cancer for the late effects of
treatment.
- Late effects are health issues that develop after cancer treatment
has ended. Late effects can appear months or years after treatment
ends.
- The emergence of late effects depends on many factors: age; exposure
to chemotherapy and radiation during treatment (including the dose
and the part of body treated); biological predisposition; and the
severity of the original disease.
- Some late effects may be identified relatively early and resolved
without consequence; others may not appear until years later and may
influence the progression of other age-related diseases (for example,
breast cancer, heart disease).
- An estimated two-thirds of survivors have at least one chronic or
late effect from their cancer therapy, and about one-third are
serious.
- The most common late effects among childhood cancer survivors are
complications with hormone levels and metabolic function (for
example, delayed puberty or infertility). The ability to think and
reason may also be affected, which can lead to challenges at school.
Other late effects include trouble with how certain organs function
(heart, lungs, stomach, intestines) and an increased risk of
developing a second type of cancer.
- Little research has been done regarding the long-term effects of
treatments on childhood cancer survivors due to poorer survival
during previous decades. As treatments change, research will be
required to monitor long-term impacts associated with childhood
cancer.Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 is prepared, printed and distributed
through a collaboration of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health
Agency of Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Statistics Canada,
provincial/territorial cancer registries, as well as university-based and
provincial/territorial cancer agency-based cancer researchers.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of
volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of
the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more
about cancer, visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free,
bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.
For more information about Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008, visit the
Society's website at www.cancer.ca- An audio webcast is available of the media conference at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=107109&s=1&k=1AEC4FEF0575B4EDE697A3C1B555835E
- The webcast can also be accessed after the conference take places
as it will be archived.Media backgrounder (3 of 7): Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008
Cancer in Canada: Fast Facts
----------------------------
Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 was released today by the Canadian Cancer
Society. Overall, there are no significant changes from last year.
In general, the incidence and death rates for the majority of cancer
sites have stabilized or declined during the past decade. This means that a
person's individual risk of cancer has remained stable.Current new cases and deaths
- In 2008:
- There will be an estimated 166,400 new cases of cancer - an
increase of 6,500 from last year.
- There will be an estimated 73,800 deaths from cancer - an increase
of 1,100 from last year.
The number of new cancer cases and deaths continues to rise steadily as
the Canadian population grows and ages.
Survival
- For 2001-2003, the five-year relative survival for all cancers
combined in Canada was 62 per cent (excluding Quebec).
Prevalence
- In 2004, 2.5 per cent of Canadian men and 2.8 per cent of Canadian
women have had a diagnosis of cancer in the previous 15 years.
Males
- Overall death rate: Since 1988, the overall cancer death rate for
Canadian males has been declining as a result of decreases in death
rates for lung, colorectal and other cancers.
- Overall incidence rate: The overall cancer incidence rate for males
rose slightly in the early 1990s (following the trend of prostate
cancer incidence during this period) then declined sharply. The
gradual decline in cancer incidence for males is expected to
continue.
Between 1995 and 2004, the following statistically significant changes
(two per cent or more per year) were observed in males:
- Incidence rates:
- decreases in stomach, larynx, lung
- increases in thyroid and liver cancers
- Death rates:
- decreases in stomach, larynx, prostate, oral, and lung cancers,
and Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Females
- Overall death rate: The overall cancer death rate for Canadian
females has been essentially stable since 1979. If lung cancer is
excluded, a major decline of 20 per cent has occurred for other types
of cancer over a 30-year period.
- Overall incidence rate: For Canadian women the overall cancer
incidence rate has been increasing slowly and steadily (due largely
to increasing incidence of lung cancer), but may be stabilizing.
Between 1995 and 2004, the following statistically significant changes
(two per cent or more per year) were observed for females:
- Incidence rates:
- decreases in stomach, larynx, brain and cervix
- increase in thyroid cancer
- Death rates:
- decreases in Hodgkin lymphoma, cervical and stomach cancers
Lung cancer
- In females, lung cancer incidence and death rates have increased
since 1979 and continue to do so. Smoking rates among women began to
decline slightly only in the mid-1980s, therefore, declining lung
cancer rates have yet to become apparent.
- Among men, rising incidence and death rates for lung cancer began to
level off in the mid-1980s and have been declining ever since.
Prostate cancer
- Prostate cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer among
Canadian men.
- A man's personal risk of developing prostate cancer has changed
little since the late 1990s.
- Prostate cancer death rates declined significantly between 1995 and
2004.
- A change in how the new prostate cancer cases were estimated was used
this year. The trend for new prostate cancer cases has been irregular
due to two periods of rapid increases in new cases, followed by
decreases. The increases were likely due to more widespread use of
the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test. Since the trend has become
more regular in recent years, a different estimating approach could
be used. This approach more accurately reflects the current trend of
new cases of prostate cancer.
Breast cancer
- Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among Canadian
women.
- The breast cancer incidence rate has declined significantly since
1999 by 1.7 per cent per year.
- The breast cancer death rate has declined by more than 25 per cent
since 1986.
Colorectal cancer
- Death rates continue to decline significantly for both men and women.Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 is prepared, printed and distributed
through a collaboration of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health
Agency of Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Statistics Canada,
provincial/territorial cancer registries, as well as university-based and
provincial/territorial cancer agency-based cancer researchers.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of
volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of
the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more
about cancer, visit our website www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual
Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.
Age-standardized rates refer to the number of people per 100,000 who are
diagnosed, or die of, cancer, adjusted to the 1991 Canadian population.
Age-standardization allows comparisons among the different years since it
accounts for changes that have occurred over time in the age distribution of
the population.
Five-year relative survival is the proportion of people alive five years
after their diagnosis, adjusted for the deaths expected for similar people in
the general population. Relative survival is the most often used method for
analyzing the survival of cancer patients across a population.
Data from Quebec have been excluded, in part, because the method of
ascertaining the date of cancer diagnosis differs from the method used by
other registries.
For more information about Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008, visit the
Society's website at www.cancer.ca- An audio webcast is available of the media conference at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=107109&s=1&k=1AEC4FEF0575B4EDE697A3C1B555835E
- The webcast can also be accessed after the conference take places
as it will be archived.Media backgrounder (4 of 7): Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008
Childhood Cancer and the Canadian Cancer Society
------------------------------------------------
The Canadian Cancer Society works across Canada to ensure that no one is
alone in the fight against cancer. The Society funds research about childhood
cancer, and provides information, support and programs for children with
cancer and their families.
Research
The Canadian Cancer Society has contributed more than $9.8 million over
the last three years to fund childhood cancer research in Canada. Projects
include:- Assessing the ongoing health risks, educational issues and long-term
support needs of childhood cancer survivors.
- Investigating the financial costs to a family when a child is
diagnosed with cancer. This information will inform healthcare
providers and policymakers about what programs are needed to help
these families.
- Studying leukemic stem cells to learn what makes them unique and how
they can be destroyed to truly cure leukemia (the most common
childhood cancer).
Nationally, two organizations - Scholar's Choice and First Choice
Haircutters - have generously contributed funds to the Society to help support
childhood cancer research. Scholar's Choice has raised over $225,000 and First
Choice Haircutters has contributed more than $60,000.
Camps for children with cancer
The Canadian Cancer Society runs or supports camps for children with
cancer throughout Canada, or arranges to send kids to camps. Currently, these
camps take place in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.
Information
Families who want to know more about childhood cancer can:
- Visit the Canadian Cancer Society's website - www.cancer.ca
- Call the Society's Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.These two sources provide current, up-to-date information about childhood
cancer, including information to help parents support their child during this
difficult time.
Support
CancerConnection provides support to adults diagnosed with cancer and
their caregivers, and is available for parents of children with cancer.
This telephone-based program is free, accessible, confidential and
responsive. Committed volunteers provide the hope that only comes from
speaking with "someone who's been there."
Transportation and financial services
Transportation services: For families who qualify, some Canadian Cancer
Society provincial divisions provide transportation services for families of
children with cancer to get to and from treatment centres.
Financial services: For families who qualify, some Society provincial
divisions provide financial services to help cover the costs of such things as
accommodation during treatment, meals and transportation costs.
Some Society provincial offices also provide material assistance, such as
medical supplies.
Transportation and financial services offered by the Canadian Cancer
Society vary from province to province.
Find out more
To find out more about the Society's camps, services and programs to help
children with cancer and their families, call the Society's Cancer Information
Service at 1 888 939-3333.
Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 is prepared, printed and distributed
through a collaboration of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health
Agency of Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Statistics Canada,
provincial/territorial cancer registries, as well as university-based and
provincial/territorial cancer agency-based cancer researchers.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of
volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of
the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more
about cancer, visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free,
bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.
For more information about Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008, visit the
Society's website at www.cancer.ca- An audio webcast is available of the media conference at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=107109&s=1&k=1AEC4FEF0575B4EDE697A3C1B555835E
- The webcast can also be accessed after the conference take places
as it will be archived.Media backgrounder (5 of 7): Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008
Childhood Cancer Research
-------------------------
The Canadian Cancer Society has contributed more than $9.8 million over
the last three years to fund childhood cancer research in Canada. Below are
examples of some of the research underway.
Dr. Mary McBride: Lifetime impact of cancer treatment on childhood cancer
survivors
Dr. Mary McBride's $1.5 million, three-year team grant is assessing the
lifetime impact of cancer treatment on survivors from British Columbia
diagnosed before the age of 25. Using a unique database, the team is comparing
numerous health and lifestyle outcomes between survivors and a group of people
who have not had cancer to assess any ongoing health risks, educational issues
and long-term support needs of childhood cancer survivors.
"Late onset effects of cancer treatment could put this group at risk for
serious problems with their health, learning abilities, social adjustment and
consequently, their employment," says Dr. McBride, "but at present those
risks, and appropriate care for those at risk, are issues we know little
about."
Dr. Mary McBride is a researcher at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver,
B.C. Her study is funded by the Canadian Cancer Society.
Dr. Anne Klassen: Studying how families with a child with cancer cope
When Dr. Anne Klassen asks parents to share their stories about caring
for their child with cancer, she is more than just an interested researcher -
she's been through it herself. Eight years ago, the Canadian Cancer Society
researcher's own son was diagnosed with Wilm's tumour, a cancer of the kidney.
Today he is healthy and cancer-free, and the experience changed the course of
Dr. Klassen's research career.
"While I was sitting in the oncology clinic surrounded by other parents
of kids with cancer, I wondered how others were coping while their child was
being treated and how they would cope when their child was in remission," says
the associate professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
With Society funding, she set out to answer this question. Dr. Klassen's
$225,000 caregiving study is the largest, most comprehensive of its kind in
Canada, involving surveys of more than 400 parents from Ottawa, Hamilton,
Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver.
The results will help identify the specific factors that help, or hinder,
parents' ability to cope as they care for a child with cancer and will inform
interventions and strategies to help families cope better with the stress
associated with childhood cancer.
Last year, Dr. Klassen also received a 2-year, $139,000 grant from the
Society to study these experiences in first-generation South Asian parents -
research she says will fill an important gap in our caregiving knowledge.
Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 is prepared, printed and distributed
through a collaboration of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health
Agency of Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Statistics Canada,
provincial/territorial cancer registries, as well as university-based and
provincial/territorial cancer agency-based cancer researchers.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of
volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of
the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more
about cancer, visit our website www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual
Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.
For more information about Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008, visit the
Society's website at www.cancer.ca- An audio webcast is available of the media conference at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=107109&s=1&k=1AEC4FEF0575B4EDE697A3C1B555835E
- The webcast can also be accessed after the conference take places
as it will be archived.Media backgrounder (6 of 7): Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008
The Hoddinott Family: a Survivor's Story
----------------------------------------
The Hoddinott family story is about a special family of fighters who won.
"Thank you for saving three of my children's four eyes."
Those are the words of Terry Hoddinott of London, Ontario who lost his
sight to retinoblastoma in the 1960s.
Retinoblastoma is a rare form of eye cancer that attacks the retina of
infants and young children. Little was known about it when Terry was a child.
Then, in the 1980s, researchers funded by the Canadian Cancer Society
started closing in on ways to fight retinoblastoma:- They found a way to bypass the resistance to chemotherapy that many
children developed - meaning these children no longer had to undergo
radiation treatment and experience its harmful effects.
- They also developed a genetic test for the disease, which means
children could be tested at birth, or even before they were born so
that, if necessary, treatment could begin right away.Retinoblastoma is often passed down from parent to child. Terry's older
child, Riley, inherited the mutated gene that causes retinoblastoma. But,
because of early diagnosis and intensive treatment, Riley kept his sight in
one eye. Riley is now 11. He's into video games, karate, snowboarding and
electric guitar.
A few years later, thanks again to Society research, his little sister
Katie was diagnosed before she was born. She was treated early, and now she
has two perfect eyes.
Terry's wife, Patti, describes their daughter, 9-year-old Katie as an
"agile little monkey." She's into karate and gymnastics and especially likes
climbing ropes.
Their dad, Terry, helps teach them that life is what you make it. He
says, "I go 100 per cent in about eight different directions."
In London, he does computer support for Bell Canada, helps co-ordinate
community charity funding, runs his own company producing special restaurant
menus for the visually impaired and still manages to find time to strum a few
old Neil Young songs on his guitar.
His wife Patti is a dietitian and was involved as a counsellor in a Diet
and Breast Cancer Prevention study. Now, she helps patients in the geriatric
rehab unit of London's Parkwood Hospital.
She remembers a long period of trips to Toronto for tests and checkups
that turned out positively for her children. She says, "When you're in the
hospital and you're among people who are critically ill, especially kids, you
just take every blessing and are grateful for it."
The Hoddinotts are a Canadian family that faced cancer and won, with a
combination of research innovations and a positive attitude filled with a lot
of love.
Patti Hoddinott says, "We think of the good things that have come of it.
Our kids have done extremely well. They both can see and we're all still
here."
Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 is prepared, printed and distributed
through a collaboration of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health
Agency of Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Statistics Canada,
provincial/territorial cancer registries, as well as university-based and
provincial/territorial cancer agency-based cancer researchers.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of
volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of
the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more
about cancer, visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free,
bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.
For more information about Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008, visit the
Society's website at www.cancer.ca- An audio webcast is available of the media conference at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=107109&s=1&k=1AEC4FEF0575B4EDE697A3C1B555835E
- The webcast can also be accessed after the conference take places
as it will be archived.Media backgrounder (7 of 7): Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008
Childhood Cancer in Canada: Treatment Centres
---------------------------------------------
There are 17 pediatric cancer centres in Canada:
British Columbia
British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver
Alberta
Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary
Stollery Children's Hospital, Edmonton
Saskatchewan
Allan Blair Cancer Centre, Regina
Saskatoon Cancer Centre, Saskatoon
Manitoba
CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg
Ontario
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa
Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, London
Kingston General Hospital, Kingston
McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
Quebec
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Quebec, Quebec
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke
Hopital Sainte-Justine, Montreal
The Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal
Nova Scotia
IWK Health Centre, Halifax
Newfoundland
Janeway Children's Health and Rehabilitation Centre, St. John's
Council of Directors
The Director of each pediatric cancer centre comprise the Council of
Canadian Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Directors - or C17. The Council's aim
is to promote excellence in clinical care, education and research for children
and adolescents with cancer and serious disorders of the blood. It also
advocates on behalf of these children and their families.- The Council is supported by the Childhood Cancer Foundation -
Candlelighter's Canada.The research arm of the Council -the C17 Research Network - was created
in 2004.
Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008 is prepared, printed and distributed
through a collaboration of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health
Agency of Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Statistics Canada,
provincial/territorial cancer registries, as well as university-based and
provincial/territorial cancer agency-based cancer researchers.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of
volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of
life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer,
visit our website www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer
Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.
For more information about Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008, visit the
Society's website at www.cancer.ca- An audio webcast is available of the media conference at:
http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=107109&s=1&k=1AEC4FEF0575B4EDE697A3C1B555835E
- The webcast can also be accessed after the conference take places
as it will be archived.
For further information: Kerstin Ring, Senior Manager, Communications
(416) 934-5664; Karen Ramlall, Manager, Communications, (416) 934-5655; French
media contact: Alexa Giorgi, Bilingual Communications Specialist, (416)
934-5681
