Early Detection: An Important Step in Cancer Care

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Over 247,000 Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year.¹ Early detection of cancer, when it is often easier to treat, can help support better health outcomes.² Some of the benefits of early detection include less aggressive forms of therapy³, as well as an increase in 5-year survival rates for some of the most common cancer types in Canada.⁴

There are things you can do to take control of your health and increase the likelihood of early detection by a doctor.

Cancer Staging and Early Diagnosis

Doctors use staging as a common way to describe the size and spread of cancers at the time of diagnosis. In the earliest stages, cancer is typically relatively small and has not spread into surrounding tissue or metastasized to a distant site in the body.⁵ Stages, which are determined through testing, can help doctors select the best treatment plan for you, or choose a clinical trial you may want to join.⁵

Too often cancer is not diagnosed until a later stage⁶. For many types of cancers, the 5-year net survival is higher when the cancer is detected at earlier stages⁷:

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in Canada.⁸ Half of all lung cancers in Canada are diagnosed at stage 4, the latest stage, for which the 5-year net survival rate falls to 3.1% compared to 61.5% for those diagnosed at stage 1, the earliest stage.⁴
5-year net survival rates at stage 1 for colon cancer are eight times higher compared to a stage 4 diagnosis.⁹
The most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, are 99% treatable if detected early. Melanoma can also have a high chance of successful treatment when caught early.¹⁰
For breast cancers diagnosed at an early stage, the 5-year survival rate ranges from 92% (at stage 2) to nearly 100% (at stage 1). ⁹

Note: The net survival is an estimate of the percentage of people who will survive their cancer in the absence of other causes of death.

Meet Ali, a breast cancer survivor who took a proactive approach to her diagnosis and treatment. With a family history of cancer, it was important to Ali to give herself the best possible outcome by acting early.

Supporting Early Diagnosis

Every cancer diagnosis journey is different, but healthcare providers or cancer specialists can recommend strategies to help you reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancers and support early diagnosis¹¹:

Understand your risk factors: Factors like a family history of cancer, exposure to harmful chemicals, tobacco use and some dietary habits can increase your risk.¹²Talk to your doctor for more information on risk factors. Some provincial health organizations also offer online assessments and tips for lowering your risk – see My CancerIQ.
Regular checkups and screening tests: If you’re in a certain age or population group, you can have screening tests that help find certain types of cancer before you’ve even noticed symptoms. Consult your doctor for regular checkups and to learn when you should be screened for certain cancers.¹³
Know your body: Even if you’ve recently seen your doctor for a checkup, it’s important to discuss any new symptoms or changes to your body with them. If your symptoms persist or get worse after a checkup, it’s important for you to continue to report these changes to your doctor.¹⁴

The Role of Screening Programs

Screening programs play a significant role in the early detection of cancer.¹⁵These programs are designed to test for cancer before symptoms present themselves.¹⁶ In Canada, provinces may offer different screening programs for cancers such as breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancer. Talk to your doctor to find out if you are eligible for screening.¹³

Patient Groups

In Canada, patient advocacy groups offer resources to individuals seeking information and support pertaining to a particular condition or disease. They often lead disease awareness efforts to support early detection and advocate for screening programs and services. To see what groups are out there, you can do a quick web search using key words such as “cancer,” a specific cancer type, or “patient support”.

For more resources, visit your local provincial health website for information on available services. These sites offer detailed information on available screening programs and what to expect from the process. Canada.ca also offers a comprehensive list of provincial and territorial health care web resources.

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References

¹https://cancer.ca/en/research/cancer-statistics/cancer-statistics-at-a-glance

²https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/find-cancer-early

³ https://cancer.ca/en/research/our-impact/saving-lives/early-detection-and-diagnosis

⁴ https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/2773-when-caught-first-stage-five-year-survival-exceeds-90-four-five-most-common-cancers

⁵ https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/what-is-cancer/stage-and-grade/staging

⁶ https://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/cancer-strategy/strategic-priorities/priority-2-diagnose/

⁷ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36716075/

⁸https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/lung/statistics

⁹ https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2023001/article/00001-eng.htm

¹⁰ https://www.canadianskincancerfoundation.com/early-detection/skin-check/