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The number of cancer cases is on the rise
According to the Registre Québécois du cancer, in 2024, 67,219 Quebecers were expected to be diagnosed with cancer, which represents 184 new cases every day. This number has been increasing for several years and will increase even more in the years to come. Aging and population growth are the main causes of this increase.
It is also estimated that in 2024, 22,800 people in the province have died of cancer, at a rate of 62 deaths per day. In fact, cancer is the leading cause of death in Quebec, ahead of cardiovascular diseases.
This means that on average in Quebec, someone learns that they have cancer every 8 minutes. Every 23 minutes, someone dies of it.
Fortunately, more and more people are surviving cancer. According to the Registre Québécois du cancer, for all cancers combined, the 5-year survival rate increased from 53% in the early 1990s to about 67% in 2016. These advances are linked to improvements in cancer screening practice, advances in treatment, and some lifestyle changes, including reduced tobacco use. Measures such as quitting smoking, eating well, being physically active, and protecting yourself from the sun can go a long way toward reducing your risk of cancer.
Cancer in Quebec
In Quebec:
- Lung cancer is the type of cancer most often diagnosed in men
- Breast cancer is the type of cancer most often diagnosed in women
- Lung and bronchus cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women
According to the Registre Québécois du cancer, we estimate that in 2024:
- 7,027 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer
- 5,296 men were diagnosed withlung cancer
- 3,727 men were diagnosed with colorectal cancer
- 8,922 women were diagnosed with breast cancer
- 6,047 women were diagnosed with lungcancer
- 3,131 women were diagnosed with colorectal
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, we also estimate that in 2024:
- 3,300 men have died of lung and bronchus cancer
- 1,450 men have died of colorectal cancer
- 1,100 men have died of prostate cancer
- 2,800 women have died of lung and bronchus cancer
- 1,400 women have died of breast cancer
- 1,150 women have died of colorectal cancer
Usefulness and limitations of statistics
Statistics are tools that are designed to illustrate data related to a given population and not to illustrate the particular situation of an individual. They can therefore be used to:
- Describe the health status of a population
- Evaluate a test, treatment, or therapeutic trial
- Look for and identify causal factors
- Assess the quality and control of certain practices
- Assess and establish the healthcare economic system
- Illustrate the probability of healing, remission, or recurrence
However, statistics can’t be interpreted as individual predictors of cure, remission, or relapse; they are not certainties.
We can’t base the chances of recovery from cancer on statistics. There are many variables to consider, such as the type of cancer, its location, the stage of the disease, and the response to treatment.
To learn more about the various topics related to cancer, please contact our Info-cancer Hotline at 1 800 363-0063. A specialized oncology nurse will listen to you, answer all your questions, and give you the support you need.
Sources
Government of Quebec. (n.d.). Statistiques du Registre québécois du cancer. Accessed on March 8, 2025.
Tableau de bord des statistiques canadiennes sur le cancer. Accessed on March 8, 2025.
Consult our Library to find publications on this topic that you can borrow free of charge.
