Cancer Remains Canada's Top Killer

CANCER REMAINS CANADA'S TOP KILLER Cancer has become the leading cause of death in every province for the first time, accounting for 30% of all deaths in 2008, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. The second biggest killer was heart disease, at 21%. That means the two conditions accounted for more than half of the 238,617 deaths that year. Cancer had already been the leading cause of death in every province except P.E.I. the year earlier. THE 10 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IN CANADA, 2008 PERCENTAGE TOTAL |MALE FEMALE 30.8 29.6 | 28.3 21.322.2 20.3 24.7 23.221.7 7.0 5.8 4.6 4.8 4.4 4.3 5.1 4.7 3.5 3.2 3.2 3.1 2.8 3.9 2.3 2.1 2.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 2.3 1.6 0.8 Stroke Chronic lower Accidents respiratory diseases Influenza & pneumonia Cancer Heart disease Diabetes Alzheimer's Kidney disease Suicide All other causes MAP OF DEATHS FROM CANCER, BY PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES PERCENTAGE | UNDER 26% | 26.1-28% | 28.1-30% OVER 30% When broken down by age group, cancer was the leading cause in only the 35-to-84 age group. For infants younger than one, congenital abnormalities were the leading killer; accidents were the deadliest for people age one to 34; while heart disease led for those age 85 and older. For young adults age 15 to 24, the top three causes of death in order were: accidents, suicide and homicide. Here's how the totals break down by province and category: DEATHS BY PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES, FOR SELECTED CAUSES PERCENTAGE Chronic lower respiratory diseases Cancer Heart disease Stroke Accidents Suicide | 4.3 | 3.3 29.6 21.3 22.4 | 5.8 7.1 | 6.1 |4.6 |5.2 1.6 | 0.9 | 1.0 |1.2 CANADA 27.8 28.1 Newfoundland & Labrador Prince Edward Island 23.2 3.7 5.1 Nova Scotia 30.1 20.6 6.5 5.1 5.4 New Brunswick 29.4 20.7 5.7 5.2 4.4 1.7 |2.0 |1.2 1.6 |1.4 2.3 |1.4 | 1.0 Quebec 33.4 19.5 4.7 4.8 3.6 29.5 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 4.4 | 5.0 Ontario 21.4 4.2 26.3 24.4 Manitoba 22.7 4.4 Saskatchewan 23.3 4.6 5.7 Alberta 26.8 23.1 5.6 4.7 4.6 British Columbia 7.2 | 4.9 | 4.2 27.7 21.9 Yukon 29.8 16.2 5.6 7.1 9.1 Northwest Territories 28.4 14.4 2.0 5.0 7.5 5.0 Nunavut 9.5 15.0 25.9 8.8 3.4 10.9 SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA JONATHON RIVAIT / NATIONAL POST