Thanks to donor support, Alberta has made leaps and bounds in its progress towards cancer survival and diagnosis.
In 2023, stats from the Canadian Cancer Society showed that Albertans have the second-highest survival rate for cancer in Canada. Although Alberta once had the lowest survival rate, those numbers have steadily increased over the years thanks to improved screening, research and care.
The generosity of donors has played a vital role in making that progress a reality and in continuing to see those numbers increase. Donations have fuelled discoveries, advanced research and supported the collective efforts of countless health-care professionals, researchers and the greater community in finding cures and solutions for cancer.
Alberta’s cancer survival rates 2023
Source: Canadian Cancer Society and Canadian Cancer Statistics 2023
Alberta has experienced the most significant improvement in cancer survival rates compared to other provinces.
From the period of 1992-1996 to 2013-2017, Alberta’s survival rates increased by 8.7 per cent.
Alberta has one of the lowest incidences and mortality rates of cancer nationwide.
Cancer in Canada in 2023
Source: Canadian Cancer Society and Canadian Cancer Statistics 2023
Thanks to the progress made in research and treatment options for individuals diagnosed with lung, colorectal and other cancers, mortality rates have decreased 39 per cent in males and 26 per cent in females since their peak in 1988.
As of 2023, colorectal cancer incidence rates have decreased faster than any other reported cancer in Canada in recent years.
Likewise, mortality rates related to lung cancer are declining faster than any other reported cancers in Canada.
In the early 1990s, the five-year net survival for all cancers was only 55 per cent, but new estimates have seen an increase to 64 per cent.
Since 2011, cancer diagnosis rates have declined annually by 1.2 per cent for males, and since 2012, 0.4 per cent for females.
Increased survival in hematologic (blood) cancers are largely attributed to earlier diagnosis, treatment and improved supportive care. Precision oncology has also played a key role in the improved outcomes, which fundraising continues to support.
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