Encouraging and supporting Canadians to live tobacco-free

Join the dialogue on the future of tobacco control

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Canada. An estimated 25,300 Canadians will be diagnosed with the disease in 2011 and 20,600 will die from it.1 Overall, fewer than 16% of lung cancer patients survive five years or more.

It is well established that tobacco use accounts for the majority of all cases of lung cancer.2 In March 2011, the Government of Canada extended the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy for one year, to implement several high-profile tobacco initiatives such as the Cracking Down on Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Youth Act. New larger graphic health warning messages on packaging are also being implemented. These feature oral cancers, heart disease, and stroke, and for the first time, testimonials from individuals affected by tobacco use. Health Canada is now seeking input from Canadians on a future federal role in tobacco control. Interested Canadians will have an opportunity to offer their input until October 11, 2011. For more information and to participate in the consultation, visit Health Canada’s website.

Cancer prevention is at the heart of the Partnership’s work and some examples of our work in the area of promoting lung cancer prevention and early detection include:

  • The Partnership’s BETTER Project, an initiative to increase prevention and screening for cancer, heart disease, and diabetes in primary care physicians’ offices in Alberta and Ontario.
  • Production of a report, Cancer Control Snapshot: Smoking and Lung Cancer in Canada, which provides information to health-care professionals on smoking and lung cancer.
  • The Early Lung Cancer Detection Study, a collaboration between the Partnership and the Terry Fox Research Institute which explores  emerging technologies that may improve early detection of lung cancer.

“Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and participating in this consultation is a great chance for all Canadians to continue to help build an environment to support Canadians making the important decision to quit and preventing  others from starting to smoke,” said Dr. Heather Bryant, Vice-President of Cancer Control at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.


Notes

1 Canadian Cancer Society. Canadian Cancer Statistics 2011.Toronto, 2011.
2 Health Canada. Cancer Updates: Lung Cancer in Canada. Ottawa, 1998.