Cmaj Podcasts

While overall cancer rates in Canada continue to decline, reflecting decades of progress in screening and treatment, younger survivors face troubling gaps in their follow-up care. In the research article “Projected estimates of cancer in Canada in 2026” overall cancer incidence and mortality rates continue to decline when adjusted for population size, reflecting advances in screening, early detection, and treatment. But for adolescents and young adults, surviving cancer may mark the start of a more complex and less coordinated phase of care.Dr. Darren Brenner, a molecular cancer epidemiologist at the University of Calgary, reports that more than 250,000 Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2026, with rates per 100,000 continuing to fall. Mortality has declined for several major cancers, though increases in pancreatic and uterine cancers highlight uneven progress. Brenner notes that a growing number of survivors are now living with elevated risk of second primary cancers and will require long-