Regional Indicator 12: Cancer Mortality

Why It's Important Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Canada. Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells form in human organs or tissue and grow to form a tumour. Two-thirds of all cancers are caused by a person's lifestyle, such as diet, physical activity, drinking and smoking habits. This indicator is a proxy for an area's propensity to make healthy lifestyle choices. Note: This indicator is based on age standardized mortality rates (ASMR). Previous reports featured standardized data as well but the new data are much more detailed.

Regional Indicator Twelve tracks the age standardized mortality rate (ASMR) for cancer. Lower mortality rates mean better performance.

Cancer mortality rates fell throughout most of the province between 1998 and 2007. Improvements ranged from as little as two percent in Abbotsford to as much as 14 percent in Victoria and Vancouver. The exception was the two percent increase in Regional BC.

Although there was improvement over the 1998 to 2007 period there were some mortality increases. Of the ten year-over-year changes analysed Vancouver had three increases, Victoria had four, Kelowna five, Abbotsford six, and the cancer mortality rate in Regional BC increased seven times.

The 2007 cancer mortality rate was lower than in 1998 in all but the Vancouver Island Health Authority. Improvements ranged from three percent in the Northern to six percent in the Fraser Health Authority.