Canada among worst in developed world in women’s lung cancer deaths

The rate of lung cancer deaths in Canadian women is among the worst in the developed world.

Canada is feeling the effects of high smoking rates among women during the 1980s.

Fairing better than only Denmark and Iceland in a study of the Organization of Economic and Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, 47 Canadian women per 100,000 die each year of lung cancer. The average rate of OECD countries is 26.5, nearly half of Canada’s.

The statistic is likely a result of high rates of smoking among women during the 1980s. In 1980, 30 per cent of women smoked. Lung cancer affects smokers about 30 years after they begin smoking, and so, although the rate of women who smoke in Canada has dropped significantly – to only 14 per cent – the county has not yet seen a drastic decrease in smoking-related deaths and illness.

Rates of lung cancer deaths in men are much closer to the OECD average in Canada, at 71.3 per 100,000. The OECD average is 66.3.

The data comes from the Canadian Institute of Health Information’s new report on how Canada compares to other developed countries around the world in many benchmark indicators. Canada scores very well in cancer-related indicators, such as screening and early detection rates. Canada’s health benchmarks fall all over the board. We rank among the best in some health indicators, such as avoidable hospital visits and present-day smoking rates, and among the worst in other, such as lung cancer deaths and obesity rates.

Canada performs very well in stroke mortality with a rate of 43 per 100,000, but we do see an oddly poor rate mortality rate of in-hospital stroke deaths. The report suggests this may be a result of more minor strokes being treated within the community rather than the hospital.

Although in some areas Canada scores poorly, nine out of ten Canadians report their own health as “good,” “very good” or “excellent,” better than most other nations.

Infant mortality rates in Canada fall behind the OECD average and are of particular concern in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories where the rate is triple the national average.

Canadians also score towards the bottom in diabetes rates, at 8.7 per cent, and an estimated one per cent of the population living with undiagnosed diabetes. Worse is that the rate of diabetes in Canada has doubled since 2000. The rate of diabetes on First Nations reserves is three times the national average.

Canada does perform very well in non-medical health indicators, such as activity rates, and fruit and vegetable consumption, although our obesity rates among youth are still worse than OECD averages.