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Statistical Reports

Ch 7: Cancer Prevalence [2022]

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Ontario Cancer Statistics 2022 Ch 7: Cancer Prevalence

Cancer prevalence measures the number of people diagnosed with cancer who are still alive. This chapter presents prevalence counts and proportions for people diagnosed with cancer within a specific timeframe who were still alive on January 1, 2019.

What's on this page

There are more people living with a diagnosis of cancer in Ontario than there were 20 years ago. Cancer prevalence – the number of people previously diagnosed with cancer who are alive at a given point in time – is a function of the incidence of and survival for cancer. With increasing incidence and improving survival, the prevalence of cancer over time has also been increasing in Ontario, a province with an estimated population of 14.7 million in 2020.

Because trends in cancer prevalence reflect the increase, decrease or stability of cancer incidence and mortality rates in the population, they can help determine how best to distribute diagnostic, treatment and care resources.(1)

This chapter presents limited-duration, person-based prevalence counts. “Limited-duration” cancer prevalence describes the number of people alive on a certain date (called the index date) who were diagnosed with cancer within a specified previous number of years (e.g., 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 30 years). This information is directly measured from the registry's observations and does not include prevalent cases diagnosed before the start of the limited-duration period. This report uses an index date (i.e., a reference date) of January 1, 2019, and focuses on long-term prevalence (10 and 30 years). “Person-based” prevalence counts are when a person with cancer is counted only once even if they have had more than 1 cancer diagnosis.

Prevalence counts based on duration are important for understanding the impacts of cancer on the healthcare system. In the first 2 years after their cancer diagnosis, the main healthcare services someone would use are related to primary treatment. During the next 3 years, healthcare services would mainly consist of clinical assessment to see if the cancer has returned. In the next 5 years, follow-up services would mainly be accessed.

People living with cancer (prevalent cases) whose cancer diagnosis occurred in the previous 10 or more years are considered long-term survivors. Their cancer experiences are often important for understanding the long-term (or late) effects of a cancer diagnosis and the associated use of healthcare services. A 30-year period provides a reasonable time window for accounting for all adult cancer survivors and most childhood cancer survivors.

Prevalence by Sex and Cancer Type

At the end of 2018 (on the index date of January 1, 2019), an estimated 411,158 people (29 per 100,000 people) living in Ontario had been diagnosed with cancer in the previous 10 years (since 2009) (Table 7.1).

Looking back at those diagnosed in the previous 30 years (since 1989), 676,509 people in Ontario were still alive at the end of 2018, which is a prevalence proportion of 4,689.3 per 100,000. Of these people, 52.5% who were diagnosed in the previous 10 years and 53.8% who were diagnosed in the previous 30 years were female, even though the overall cancer incidence rates were higher among males (see Chapter 1: Estimated Current Cancer Incidence and Chapter 4: Cancer Incidence). This discrepancy largely reflects the higher prevalence of thyroid and lung cancers in female survivors because they have a higher incidence of thyroid cancer and higher survival for lung cancer than males. Breast cancer also contributes to this discrepancy due to the high incidence and survival for breast cancer among females.

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Table 7.1 Limited duration prevalence by cancer type and sex, Ontario, 2018
Cancer type Males and females combined Males Females
10-year prevalence count 10-year prevalence proportion 30-year prevalence count 30-year prevalence proportion 10-year prevalence count 10-year prevalence proportion 30-year prevalence count 30-year prevalence proportion 10-year prevalence count 10-year prevalence proportion 30-year prevalence count 30-year prevalence proportion
All cancers 411,158 2,850.0 676,509 4,689.3 195,257 2,741.0 312,800 4,391.1 215,901 2,956.3 363,709 4,980.2
Brain and nervous system
Brain and other nervous system - malignant 3,513 24.4 7,024 48.7 1,939 27.2 3,724 52.3 1,574 21.6 3,300 45.2
Glioblastoma 846 5.9 1,025 7.1 493 6.9 589 8.3 353 4.8 436 6.0
All other gliomas 1,720 11.9 3,383 23.5 938 13.2 1,788 25.1 782 10.7 1,595 21.8
Brain and other nervous system - non-malignant† 15,910 110.3 15,916 110.3 6,443 90.5 6,446 90.5 9,467 129.6 9,470 129.7
Meningiomas† 5,113 35.4 5,115 35.5 1,468 20.6 1,468 20.6 3,645 49.9 3,647 49.9
Pituitary, pineal and craniopharyngeal duct† 4,119 28.6 4,120 28.6 1,996 28.0 1,997 28.0 2,123 29.1 2,123 29.1
Breast and genital system
Breast (female) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 78,182 1,070.5 141,829 1,942.0
Cervix n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 4,285 58.7 10,306 141.1
Ovary n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 5,810 79.6 10,277 140.7
Prostate n/a n/a n/a n/a 72,124 1,012.5 125,804 1,766.0 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Testis n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,835 53.8 9,087 127.6 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Uterine n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 19,749 270.4 32,438 444.2
Uterus - endometrial n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 18,757 256.8 30,104 412.2
Uterus - uterine sarcoma n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 392 5.4 790 10.8
Digestive system
Colorectal 45,542 315.7 74,831 518.7 24,836 348.7 39,951 560.8 20,706 283.5 34,880 477.6
Colon excluding rectum 30,158 209.0 49,572 343.6 15,586 218.8 25,033 351.4 14,572 199.5 24,539 336.0
Colon - left sided 12,366 85.7 21,417 148.5 7,082 99.4 11,788 165.5 5,284 72.4 9,629 131.9
Colon - right sided 17,199 119.2 26,490 183.6 8,178 114.8 12,351 173.4 9,021 123.5 14,139 193.6
Rectum and rectosigmoid junction 16,306 113.0 26,547 184.0 9,826 137.9 15,689 220.2 6,480 88.7 10,858 148.7
Rectosigmoid junction 4,077 28.3 7,290 50.5 2,441 34.3 4,167 58.5 1,636 22.4 3,123 42.8
Rectum 12,229 84.8 19,257 133.5 7,385 103.7 11,522 161.8 4,844 66.3 7,735 105.9
Esophagus 1,828 12.7 2,354 16.3 1,390 19.5 1,740 24.4 438 6.0 614 8.4
Esophagus - adenocarcinoma 1,152 8.0 1,397 9.7 992 13.9 1,198 16.8 160 2.2 199 2.7
Esophagus - squamous cell carcinoma 544 3.8 746 5.2 308 4.3 404 5.7 236 3.2 342 4.7
Liver 2,992 20.7 3,955 27.4 2,186 30.7 2,884 40.5 806 11.0 1,071 14.7
Pancreas 2,963 20.5 3,787 26.3 1,524 21.4 1,901 26.7 1,439 19.7 1,886 25.8
Stomach 4,864 33.7 7,120 49.4 2,997 42.1 4,303 60.4 1,867 25.6 2,817 38.6
Head and neck
Larynx 2,306 16.0 3,943 27.3 1,967 27.6 3,325 46.7 339 4.6 618 8.5
Oral cavity and pharynx 9,534 66.1 14,908 103.3 6,694 94.0 10,253 143.9 2,840 38.9 4,655 63.7
Lip and oral cavity 4,664 32.3 7,566 52.4 2,870 40.3 4,722 66.3 1,794 24.6 2,844 38.9
Hypopharynx 299 2.1 404 2.8 244 3.4 318 4.5 55 0.8 86 1.2
Nasopharynx 742 5.1 1,455 10.1 515 7.2 986 13.8 227 3.1 469 6.4
Oropharynx 3,679 25.5 5,155 35.7 2,958 41.5 4,032 56.6 721 9.9 1,123 15.4
Thyroid 27,856 193.1 46,896 325.1 6,443 90.5 10,057 141.2 21,413 293.2 36,839 504.4
Thyroid - anaplastic 23 0.2 35 0.2 8 0.1 10 0.1 15 0.2 25 0.3
Thyroid - follicular 897 6.2 2,051 14.2 226 3.2 465 6.5 671 9.2 1,586 21.7
Thyroid - medullary 315 2.2 587 4.1 129 1.8 223 3.1 186 2.6 364 5.0
Thyroid - papillary 26,251 182.0 42,507 294.6 5,988 84.1 9,013 126.5 20,263 277.5 33,494 458.6
Hematological
Leukemia 12,906 89.5 20,792 144.1 7,546 105.9 11,947 167.7 5,360 73.4 8,845 121.1
Acute lymphocytic leukemia 1,556 10.8 3,350 23.2 908 12.8 1,924 27.0 648 8.9 1,426 19.5
Acute monocytic leukemia 6,623 45.9 9,716 67.4 4,012 56.3 5,747 80.7 2,611 35.8 3,969 54.4
Acute myeloid leukemia 110 0.8 168 1.2 52 0.7 82 1.2 58 0.8 86 1.2
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia 1,588 11.0 2,591 18.0 810 11.4 1,294 18.2 778 10.7 1,297 17.8
Chronic myeloid leukemia 1,746 12.1 2,741 19.0 990 13.9 1,537 21.6 756 10.4 1,204 16.5
Lymphoma 26,749 185.4 43,277 300.0 14,461 203.0 22,939 322.0 12,288 168.3 20,338 278.5
Hodgkin lymphoma 3,269 22.7 7,762 53.8 1,737 24.4 4,065 57.1 1,532 21.0 3,697 50.6
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 23,517 163.0 35,569 246.6 12,747 178.9 18,906 265.4 10,770 147.5 16,663 228.2
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma - extranodal 12,254 84.9 22,546 156.3 6,605 92.7 11,872 166.7 5,649 77.4 10,674 146.2
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma - nodal 11,282 78.2 13,049 90.5 6,155 86.4 7,052 99.0 5,127 70.2 5,997 82.1
Myeloma 6,170 42.8 7,489 51.9 3,417 48.0 4,099 57.5 2,753 37.7 3,390 46.4
Melanoma
Melanoma of the skin 24,312 168.5 41,635 288.6 12,762 179.2 20,681 290.3 11,550 158.2 20,954 286.9
Melanoma (non-cutaneous) 1,016 7.0 1,711 11.9 503 7.1 857 12.0 513 7.0 854 11.7
Melanoma - mucosal 171 1.2 209 1.5 57 0.8 60 0.8 114 1.6 149 2.0
Melanoma - ocular 845 5.9 1,502 10.4 446 6.3 797 11.2 399 5.5 705 9.7
Thoracic system
Lung 23,488 162.8 30,246 209.7 10,217 143.4 13,361 187.6 13,271 181.7 16,885 231.2
Lung - adenocarcinoma 12,243 84.9 15,007 104.0 4,714 66.2 5,721 80.3 7,529 103.1 9,286 127.2
Lung - large cell 347 2.4 543 3.8 172 2.4 267 3.8 175 2.4 276 3.8
Lung - small cell 1,304 9.0 1,628 11.3 576 8.1 738 10.4 728 10.0 890 12.2
Lung - squamous cell 4,262 29.5 5,447 37.8 2,526 35.5 3,299 46.3 1,736 23.8 2,148 29.4
Urinary system
Bladder 11,312 78.4 18,908 131.1 8,915 125.2 14,494 203.5 2,397 32.8 4,414 60.4
Kidney 14,701 101.9 22,655 157.0 9,396 131.9 13,959 196.0 5,305 72.6 8,696 119.1

Symbols:
** Suppressed due to small cell count (count less than 6).
Prevalence counts are based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program rules for counting multiple primary cancers and only reflects 9-year prevalence (2010 to 2018).

Notes:

  1. Prevalence counts are based on incidence using International Agency for Research on Cancer/International Association of Cancer Registries rules for counting multiple primaries.
  2. Prevalence proportions are per 100,000.
  3. Only the first cancer of a given type in an individual is counted (for people who have multiple episodes of cancer).
  4. Counts for cancer subsites may not sum to total because not all subsites are included.

Analysis by: Surveillance, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)
Data source: Ontario Cancer Registry (March, 2021), Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)

Female breast cancer was the largest contributor to 30-year prevalence, accounting for 141,829 survivors at the end of 2018 (Figure 7.1). Prostate (125,804) and colorectal (74,831) cancers were the next most prevalent types. Lung cancer, despite being the third most commonly diagnosed cancer, ranked only eighth in terms of prevalence because of its low survival. It was surpassed by several higher-survival cancers, despite their lower annual incidence: thyroid cancer, lymphoma, melanoma and uterine cancer.

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Notes:

  1. Prevalence for all cancers is 676,509.
  2. Prevalence counts are based on incidence counts using International Agency for Research on Cancer/International Association of Cancer Registries rules for counting multiple primaries.

Analysis by: Surveillance, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)
Data source: Ontario Cancer Registry (March 2021), Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)

Figure 7.1 Thirty-year prevalence by cancer type, Ontario, 2018
Cancer Type Prevalence count
Breast (female) 141829
Prostate 125804
Colorectal 74831
Colon excluding rectum 49572
Colon - right sided 26490
Colon - left sided 21417
Rectum and rectosigmoid junction 26547
Rectum 19257
Rectosigmoid junction 7290
Thyroid 46896
Thyroid - papillary 42507
Thyroid - follicular 2051
Thyroid - medullary 587
Thyroid - anaplastic 35
Lymphoma 43277
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 35569
NHL - nodal 22546
NHL - extranodal 13049
Hodgkin lymphoma 7762
Melanoma of the skin 41635
Melanoma (non-cutaneous) 1711
Melanoma - ocular 1502
Melanoma - mucosal 209
Uterus 32438
Uterus - endometrial 30104
Uterus - uterine sarcoma 790
Lung 30246
Lung - adenocarcinoma 15007
Lung - squamous cell 5447
Lung - small cell 1628
Lung - large cell 543
Kidney 22655
Leukemia 20792
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia 9716
Acute lymphocytic leukemia 3350
Chronic myeloid leukemia 2741
Acute myeloid leukemia 2591
Acute monocytic leukemia 168
Bladder 18908
Oral cavity and pharynx 14908
Lip and oral cavity 7566
Oropharynx 5155
Nasopharynx 1455
Hypopharynx 404
Cervix 10306
Ovary 10277
Testis 9087
Brain and other nervous system - malignant 7024
Meningiomas 5115
Pituitary, pineal and craniopharyngeal duct 4120
Brain and other nervous system - non-malignant 15916
Glioblastoma 1025
All other gliomas 3383
Stomach 7120
Myeloma 7489
Larynx 3943
Liver 3955
Pancreas 3787
Esophagus 2354

Notes:

  1. Prevalence for all cancers is 676,509.
  2. Prevalence counts are based on incidence counts using International Agency for Research on Cancer/International Association of Cancer Registries rules for counting multiple primaries.

Analysis by: Surveillance, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)
Data source: Ontario Cancer Registry (March 2021), Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)

The increase over time in 10-year prevalence for the most common cancers and all cancers combined is shown in Figure 7.2. The rate of increase in prevalence varied greatly by cancer type. The highest increases were for prostate and female breast cancers, which had higher survival, while the lowest were for colorectal and lung cancers.

Note: Prevalence counts are based on incidence counts using International Agency for Research on Cancer/International Association of Cancer Registries rules for counting multiple primaries.

Analysis by: Surveillance, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)
Data source: Ontario Cancer Registry (March 2021), Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)

Figure 7.2 Ten-year prevalence over time by cancer type, Ontario, 1998 to 2018
Year All cancers Breast (female) Colorectal Lung Prostate
1998 221749 46149 27793 12530 38483
1999 230797 48117 28768 12685 41452
2000 240318 49849 29875 12985 44728
2001 250003 51323 31087 13298 48328
2002 259473 52956 32152 13392 51227
2003 267863 54360 33105 13452 53367
2004 278099 56067 34315 13793 56312
2005 288905 57531 35516 14344 59903
2006 300167 59101 36948 14557 63514
2007 311876 60421 38243 14889 66790
2008 322726 61593 39536 15222 69338
2009 333508 62939 40673 15726 71682
2010 343322 64520 41756 16525 73829
2011 353554 66188 42672 17160 75530
2012 362393 67682 43498 18147 75945
2013 370764 69341 44321 18830 75643
2014 378107 71194 44861 19459 74558
2015 386304 72874 45330 20252 73378
2016 393578 74641 45603 21073 72297
2017 402127 76146 45788 22307 71629
2018 411158 78182 45542 23488 72124

Note: Prevalence counts are based on incidence counts using International Agency for Research on Cancer/International Association of Cancer Registries rules for counting multiple primaries.

Analysis by: Surveillance, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)
Data source: Ontario Cancer Registry (March 2021), Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)

Overall, the prevalence of all cancer types, except laryngeal, increased each decade from 1998 to 2008 to 2018 (Table 7.2). However, by sex, prevalence for some cancers was relatively stable.

Among females, prevalence of cervical and bladder cancers changed very little over the 3 periods, but for different reasons. For bladder cancer, incidence increased, while survival decreased. For cervical cancer, survival changed little over time (see Chapter 6: Cancer Survival).

Among males, the prevalence of laryngeal, lip and oral cavity cancers, as well as squamous cell carcinoma of the lung were relatively stable.

Table 7.2 Ten-year prevalence by cancer type, sex and time period, Ontario, 1998, 2008, and 2018
Cancer type Males and females combined Males Females
Count (1998) Proportion (1998) Count (2008) Proportion (2008) Count (2018) Proportion (2018) Count (1998) Proportion (1998) Count (2008) Proportion (2008) Count (2018) Proportion (2018) Count (1998) Proportion (1998) Count (2008) Proportion (2008) Count (2018) Proportion (2018)
All Cancers 221,749 1,939.2 322,726 2,493.8 411,158 2,850.0 105,988 1,879.1 160,954 2,528.3 195,257 2,741.0 115,761 1,997.6 161,772 2,460.5 215,901 2,956.3
Brain and nervous system
Brain and other nervous system - malignant 2,862 25.0 3,499 27.0 3,513 24.4 1,529 27.1 1,850 29.1 1,939 27.2 1,333 23.0 1,649 25.1 1,574 21.6
Glioblastoma 366 3.2 519 4.0 846 5.9 213 3.8 304 4.8 493 6.9 153 2.6 215 3.3 353 4.8
All other gliomas 1,336 11.7 1,574 12.2 1,720 11.9 739 13.1 817 12.8 938 13.2 597 10.3 757 11.5 782 10.7
Brain and other nervous system - non-malignant† n/a n/a n/a n/a 15,910 110.3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 6,443 90.5 n/a n/a n/a n/a 9,467 129.6
Meningiomas† n/a n/a n/a n/a 5,113 35.4 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,468 20.6 n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,645 49.9
Pituitary, pineal and craniopharyngeal duct† n/a n/a n/a n/a 4,119 28.6 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,996 28.0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 2,123 29.1
Breast and genital system
Breast (female) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 46,149 796.4 61,593 936.8 78,182 1,070.5
Cervix n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 4,078 70.4 3,982 60.6 4,285 58.7
Ovary n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,606 62.2 4,972 75.6 5,810 79.6
Prostate n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 38,483 682.3 69,338 1,089.2 72,124 1,012.5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Testis n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 2,545 45.1 3,167 49.8 3,835 53.8 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Uterine n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 8,687 149.9 12,073 183.6 19,749 270.4
Uterus - endometrial n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 7,697 132.8 10,925 166.2 18,757 256.8
Uterus - uterine sarcoma n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 268 4.6 349 5.3 392 5.4
Digestive system
Colorectal 27,793 243.1 39,536 305.5 45,542 315.7 14,296 253.5 21,265 334.0 24,836 348.7 13,497 232.9 18,271 277.9 20,706 283.5
Colon excluding rectum 18,935 165.6 26,083 201.6 30,158 209.0 9,128 161.8 13,104 205.8 15,586 218.8 9,807 169.2 12,979 197.4 14,572 199.5
Colon - left sided 8,216 71.9 11,307 87.4 12,366 85.7 4,353 77.2 6,301 99.0 7,082 99.4 3,863 66.7 5,006 76.1 5,284 72.4
Colon - right sided 9,414 82.3 13,712 106.0 17,199 119.2 4,105 72.8 6,223 97.8 8,178 114.8 5,309 91.6 7,489 113.9 9,021 123.5
Rectum and rectosigmoid junction 8,991 78.6 13,685 105.8 16,306 113.0 5,240 92.9 8,300 130.4 9,826 137.9 3,751 64.7 5,385 81.9 6,480 88.7
Rectosigmoid junction 2,821 24.7 4,268 33.0 4,077 28.3 1,573 27.9 2,457 38.6 2,441 34.3 1,248 21.5 1,811 27.5 1,636 22.4
Rectum 6,170 54.0 9,417 72.8 12,229 84.8 3,667 65.0 5,843 91.8 7,385 103.7 2,503 43.2 3,574 54.4 4,844 66.3
Esophagus 837 7.3 1,176 9.1 1,828 12.7 560 9.9 856 13.5 1,390 19.5 277 4.8 320 4.9 438 6.0
Esophagus - adenocarcinoma 341 3.0 626 4.8 1,152 8.0 288 5.1 530 8.3 992 13.9 53 0.9 96 1.5 160 2.2
Esophagus - squamous cell carcinoma 403 3.5 415 3.2 544 3.8 222 3.9 231 3.6 308 4.3 181 3.1 184 2.8 236 3.2
Liver 613 5.4 1,638 12.7 2,992 20.7 421 7.5 1,207 19.0 2,186 30.7 192 3.3 431 6.6 806 11.0
Pancreas 1,099 9.6 1,663 12.9 2,963 20.5 519 9.2 805 12.7 1,524 21.4 580 10.0 858 13.1 1,439 19.7
Stomach 2,528 22.1 3,202 24.7 4,864 33.7 1,549 27.5 1,932 30.4 2,997 42.1 979 16.9 1,270 19.3 1,867 25.6
Head and neck
Larynx 2,395 20.9 2,337 18.1 2,306 16.0 1,978 35.1 1,953 30.7 1,967 27.6 417 7.2 384 5.8 339 4.6
Oral cavity and pharynx 5,557 48.6 6,711 51.9 9,534 66.1 3,778 67.0 4,560 71.6 6,694 94.0 1,779 30.7 2,151 32.7 2,840 38.9
Lip and oral cavity 3,358 29.4 3,429 26.5 4,664 32.3 2,297 40.7 2,162 34.0 2,870 40.3 1,061 18.3 1,267 19.3 1,794 24.6
Hypopharynx 259 2.3 260 2.0 299 2.1 202 3.6 202 3.2 244 3.4 57 1.0 58 0.9 55 0.8
Nasopharynx 489 4.3 666 5.2 742 5.1 326 5.8 450 7.1 515 7.2 163 2.8 216 3.3 227 3.1
Oropharynx 1,113 9.7 2,057 15.9 3,679 25.5 756 13.4 1,557 24.5 2,958 41.5 357 6.2 500 7.6 721 9.9
Thyroid 5,785 50.6 15,599 120.5 27,856 193.1 1,271 22.5 3,121 49.0 6,443 90.5 4,514 77.9 12,478 189.8 21,413 293.2
Thyroid - anaplastic 8 0.1 14 0.1 23 0.2 1 0.0 4 0.1 8 0.1 7 0.1 10 0.2 15 0.2
Thyroid - follicular 653 5.7 808 6.2 897 6.2 156 2.8 190 3.0 226 3.2 497 8.6 618 9.4 671 9.2
Thyroid - medullary 134 1.2 223 1.7 315 2.2 55 1.0 81 1.3 129 1.8 79 1.4 142 2.2 186 2.6
Thyroid - papillary 4,515 39.5 13,448 103.9 26,251 182.0 954 16.9 2,637 41.4 5,988 84.1 3,561 61.5 10,811 164.4 20,263 277.5
Hematological
Leukemia 6,090 53.3 9,506 73.5 12,906 89.5 3,419 60.6 5,558 87.3 7,546 105.9 2,671 46.1 3,948 60.1 5,360 73.4
Acute lymphocytic leukemia 944 8.3 1,133 8.8 1,556 10.8 526 9.3 664 10.4 908 12.8 418 7.2 469 7.1 648 8.9
Acute monocytic leukemia 2,976 26.0 5,146 39.8 6,623 45.9 1,676 29.7 3,082 48.4 4,012 56.3 1,300 22.4 2,064 31.4 2,611 35.8
Acute myeloid leukemia 40 0.4 54 0.4 110 0.8 19 0.3 31 0.5 52 0.7 21 0.4 23 0.4 58 0.8
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia 702 6.1 1,095 8.5 1,588 11.0 334 5.9 563 8.8 810 11.4 368 6.4 532 8.1 778 10.7
Chronic myeloid leukemia 707 6.2 1,121 8.7 1,746 12.1 426 7.6 617 9.7 990 13.9 281 4.9 504 7.7 756 10.4
Lymphoma 11,629 101.7 17,211 133.0 26,749 185.4 6,013 106.6 9,057 142.3 14,461 203.0 5,616 96.9 8,154 124.0 12,288 168.3
Hodgkin lymphoma 2,649 23.2 2,917 22.5 3,269 22.7 1,422 25.2 1,554 24.4 1,737 24.4 1,227 21.2 1,363 20.7 1,532 21.0
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 8,980 78.5 14,299 110.5 23,517 163.0 4,591 81.4 7,505 117.9 12,747 178.9 4,389 75.7 6,794 103.3 10,770 147.5
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma - extranodal 8,236 72.0 12,176 94.1 12,254 84.9 4,186 74.2 6,393 100.4 6,605 92.7 4,050 69.9 5,783 88.0 5,649 77.4
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma - nodal 744 6.5 2,125 16.4 11,282 78.2 405 7.2 1,114 17.5 6,155 86.4 339 5.9 1,011 15.4 5,127 70.2
Myeloma 2,160 18.9 3,243 25.1 6,170 42.8 1,098 19.5 1,747 27.4 3,417 48.0 1,062 18.3 1,496 22.8 2,753 37.7
Melanoma
Melanoma of the skin 10,318 90.2 15,691 121.3 24,312 168.5 5,066 89.8 7,936 124.7 12,762 179.2 5,252 90.6 7,755 118.0 11,550 158.2
Melanoma (non-cutaneous) 561 4.9 728 5.6 1,016 7.0 276 4.9 361 5.7 503 7.1 285 4.9 367 5.6 513 7.0
Melanoma - mucosal 34 0.3 48 0.4 171 1.2 5 0.1 5 0.1 57 0.8 29 0.5 43 0.7 114 1.6
Melanoma - ocular 527 4.6 680 5.3 845 5.9 271 4.8 356 5.6 446 6.3 256 4.4 324 4.9 399 5.5
Thoracic system
Lung 12,530 109.6 15,222 117.6 23,488 162.8 6,970 123.6 7,279 114.3 10,217 143.4 5,560 96.0 7,943 120.8 13,271 181.7
Lung - adenocarcinoma 4,590 40.1 6,052 46.8 12,243 84.9 2,099 37.2 2,419 38.0 4,714 66.2 2,491 43.0 3,633 55.3 7,529 103.1
Lung - large cell 467 4.1 403 3.1 347 2.4 251 4.5 197 3.1 172 2.4 216 3.7 206 3.1 175 2.4
Lung - small cell 972 8.5 1,080 8.4 1,304 9.0 514 9.1 525 8.3 576 8.1 458 7.9 555 8.4 728 10.0
Lung - squamous cell 3,291 28.8 2,984 23.1 4,262 29.5 2,313 41.0 1,912 30.0 2,526 35.5 978 16.9 1,072 16.3 1,736 23.8
Urinary system
Bladder 9,581 83.8 10,795 83.4 11,312 78.4 7,175 127.2 8,237 129.4 8,915 125.2 2,406 41.5 2,558 38.9 2,397 32.8
Kidney 5,729 50.1 9,025 69.7 14,701 101.9 3,408 60.4 5,370 84.4 9,396 131.9 2,321 40.1 3,655 55.6 5,305 72.6

Symbols:
** Suppressed due to small cell count (count less than 6).
Prevalence counts are based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program rules for counting multiple primary cancers and only reflects 9-year prevalence (2010 to 2018).

Notes:

  1. Prevalence counts are based on incidence counts using International Agency for Research on Cancer/International Association of Cancer Registries rules for counting multiple primaries.
  2. Prevalence proportions are per 100,000.
  3. Only the first cancer of a given type in an individual is counted (for people who have multiple episodes of cancer).
  4. Counts for cancer subsites may not sum to total because not all subsites are included.

Analysis by: Surveillance, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)
Data source: Ontario Cancer Registry (March 2021), Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)

Prevalence by Age

The majority (51.7%) of 30-year prevalent cancers in 2018 were among people in Ontario ages 60 to 79, followed by those age 80 and older (22.3%) (Table 7.3). However, prevalence patterns differed according to sex. Although males had the same pattern as males and females combined, the second-highest prevalence for females was among people ages 40 to 59. This difference is largely due to the higher prevalence of melanoma, as well as breast, cervical, thyroid and ovarian cancers among females in that age group.

Among people ages 0 to 39, females were more likely than males to be living with cancer. Notable patterns in this age group include a higher prevalence than people over age 39 of brain cancer, which has a higher survival rate in younger people.

Table 7.3 Thirty-year prevalence by cancer type, sex and age group, Ontario, 2018

Males and females combined

Cancer type Counts
(ages 0 to 39)
Proportion
(ages 0 to 39)
Counts
(ages 40 to 59)
Proportion
(ages 40 to 59)
Counts
(ages 60 to 79)
Proportion
(ages 60 to 79)
Counts
(age 80 and older)
Proportion
(age 80 and older)
All cancers 31,938 448.9 143,646 3,664.5 349,824 12,678.9 151,101 23,872.6
Bladder 76 1.1 1,420 36.2 9,704 351.7 7,708 1,217.8
Brain 2,648 37.2 2,205 56.3 1,750 63.4 421 66.5
Breast (female) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Cervix n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Colorectal 684 9.6 10,009 255.3 37,945 1,375.3 26,193 4,138.3
Esophagus 17 0.2 389 9.9 1,439 52.2 509 80.4
Hodgkin lymphoma 2,709 38.1 3,340 85.2 1,434 52.0 279 44.1
Kidney 909 12.8 5,306 135.4 12,405 449.6 4,035 637.5
Larynx 22 0.3 473 12.1 2,354 85.3 1,094 172.8
Leukemia 4,000 56.2 3,699 94.4 9,157 331.9 3,936 621.9
Liver 179 2.5 668 17.0 2,392 86.7 716 113.1
Lung 217 3.1 3,263 83.2 18,542 672.0 8,224 1,299.3
Melanoma 2,034 28.6 10,932 278.9 20,326 736.7 8,343 1,318.1
Myeloma 50 0.7 1,240 31.6 4,301 155.9 1,898 299.9
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 2,161 30.4 7,863 200.6 18,038 653.8 7,507 1,186.0
Oral cavity and pharynx 306 4.3 3,677 93.8 8,483 307.5 2,442 385.8
Ovary n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Pancreas 99 1.4 787 20.1 2,126 77.1 775 122.4
Prostate n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Stomach 95 1.3 1,208 30.8 3,657 132.5 2,160 341.3
Testis n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Thyroid 5,368 75.5 21,267 542.5 17,317 627.6 2,944 465.1
Uterus n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Males

Cancer type Counts
(ages 0 to 39)
Proportion
(ages 0 to 39)
Counts
(ages 40 to 59)
Proportion
(ages 40 to 59)
Counts
(ages 60 to 79)
Proportion
(ages 60 to 79)
Counts
(age 80 and older)
Proportion
(age 80 and older)
All cancers 14,077 388.1 50,366 2,610.7 170,875 13,003.5 77,482 30,654.3
Bladder 43 1.2 1,087 56.3 7,550 574.6 5,814 2,300.2
Brain 1,456 40.1 1,194 61.9 897 68.3 177 70.0
Breast (female) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Cervix n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Colorectal 345 9.5 5,373 278.5 21,656 1,648.0 12,577 4,975.9
Esophagus ** ** †290 15.1 1,102 83.9 331 131.0
Hodgkin lymphoma 1,385 38.2 1,755 91.0 780 59.4 145 57.4
Kidney 456 12.6 3,439 178.3 7,801 593.7 2,263 895.3
Larynx 12 0.3 376 19.5 2,007 152.7 930 367.9
Leukemia 2,256 62.2 2,116 109.7 5,531 420.9 2,044 808.7
Liver 114 3.1 475 24.6 1,838 139.9 457 180.8
Lung 95 2.6 1,298 67.3 8,100 616.4 3,868 1,530.3
Melanoma 688 19.0 4,615 239.2 10,826 823.9 4,552 1,800.9
Myeloma 27 0.7 677 35.1 2,415 183.8 980 387.7
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 1,313 36.2 4,366 226.3 9,728 740.3 3,499 1,384.3
Oral cavity and pharynx 176 4.9 2,585 134.0 6,082 462.8 1,410 557.8
Ovary n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Pancreas 36 1.0 381 19.8 1,130 86.0 354 140.1
Prostate 14 0.4 7,272 376.9 78,675 5,987.1 39,843 15,763.1
Stomach 39 1.1 694 36.0 2,305 175.4 1,265 500.5
Testis 2,719 75.0 4,773 247.4 1,497 113.9 98 38.8
Thyroid 1,038 28.6 4,143 214.8 4,149 315.7 727 287.6
Uterus n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Females

Cancer type Counts
(ages 0 to 39)
Proportion
(ages 0 to 39)
Counts
(ages 40 to 59)
Proportion
(ages 40 to 59)
Counts
(ages 60 to 79)
Proportion
(ages 60 to 79)
Counts
(age 80 and older)
Proportion
(age 80 and older)
All cancers 17,861 512.2 93,280 4,685.6 178,949 12,383.7 73,619 19,363.9
Bladder 33 1.0 333 16.7 2,154 149.1 1,894 498.2
Brain 1,192 34.2 1,011 50.8 853 59.0 244 64.2
Breast (female) 1,974 56.6 34,592 1,737.6 76,473 5,292.1 28,790 7,572.6
Cervix 956 27.4 4,915 246.9 3,691 255.4 744 195.7
Colorectal 339 9.7 4,636 232.9 16,289 1,127.2 13,616 3,581.4
Esophagus ** ** †95 4.9 337 23.3 178 46.8
Hodgkin lymphoma 1,324 38.0 1,585 79.6 654 45.3 134 35.3
Kidney 453 13.0 1,867 93.8 4,604 318.6 1,772 466.1
Larynx 10 0.3 97 4.9 347 24.0 164 43.1
Leukemia 1,744 50.0 1,583 79.5 3,626 250.9 1,892 497.7
Liver 65 1.9 193 9.7 554 38.3 259 68.1
Lung 122 3.5 1,965 98.7 10,442 722.6 4,356 1,145.8
Melanoma 1,346 38.6 6,317 317.3 9,500 657.4 3,791 997.1
Myeloma 23 0.7 563 28.3 1,886 130.5 918 241.5
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 848 24.3 3,497 175.7 8,310 575.1 4,008 1,054.2
Oral cavity and pharynx 130 3.7 1,092 54.9 2,401 166.2 1,032 271.5
Ovary 710 20.4 3,184 159.9 4,965 343.6 1,418 373.0
Pancreas 63 1.8 406 20.4 996 68.9 421 110.7
Prostate n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Stomach 56 1.6 514 25.8 1,352 93.6 895 235.4
Testis n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Thyroid 4,330 124.2 17,124 860.2 13,168 911.3 2,217 583.1
Uterus 264 7.6 5,670 284.8 19,798 1,370.1 6,706 1,763.9

Abbreviation: n/a means not applicable

Symbols:
**Suppressed due to small cell count (count less than 6).
Count has been rounded to ensure confidentiality.

Notes:

  1. Prevalence counts are based on incidence counts using International Agency for Research on Cancer/International Association of Cancer Registries rules for counting multiple primaries.
  2. Prevalence proportions are per 100,000

Analysis by: Surveillance, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)
Data source: Ontario Cancer Registry (March 2021), Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)

 

References

  1. Micheli A, Mugno E, Krogh V, Quinn MJ, Coleman M, Hakulinen T, et al.; EUROPREVAL Working Group. Cancer prevalence in European registry areas. Ann Oncol. 2002;13(6):840–65.