The rate of cancer diagnoses continues to rise in Canada, according to a report released Wednesday by the Canadian Cancer Society.

Overall, it is estimated that there will be 166,400 new cases of cancer in 2008, an increase of 6,500 cases over last year.

As well, 73,800 people are expected to die from cancer this year, an increase of 1,100 people compared to last year.

These findings are consistent with the fact that Canada's population is both growing and aging.

The report, Canadian Cancer Statistics 2008, said that lung cancer among women has risen steadily over the last 30 years, although breast cancer is still the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. For men, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer.

Other findings for the period between 1995 and 2004 are:

  • incidences of stomach, larynx and lung cancer among men decreased, while thyroid and liver cancers increased.
  • death rates decreased for stomach, prostate, larynx, oral and lung cancers, as well as Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in men.
  • incidences of stomach, larynx, brain and cervical cancers have decreased in women, while thyroid cancer has increased.
  • death rates for cervical and stomach cancers, as well as Hodgkin lymphoma, decreased for women.

In a special section on childhood cancer, the report found that the five-year survival rate for all childhood cancers was 82 per cent, an 11 per cent increase over 15 years.

Children are surviving cancer in greater numbers due to the fact that about 80 per cent of them are either enrolled in a clinical trial or are being treated according to a standard of care established in a clinical trial.

While cancer is relatively rare in children, it is second to accidents as the leading cause of death in Canadian children who are over one month old. About 850 kids up to 14 years of age are diagnosed with cancer each year, and about 135 die from it.

While rising survival rates are good news for children with cancer, it means that most of these kids could have lingering side effects for years after.

About two-thirds of children with cancer will have what is called a "late effect" and about one-third of these are serious. Late effects can range from infertility and delayed puberty to problems with major organs such as the heart, lungs and intestines. Kids may also have trouble with concentrating and thinking, making school work difficult. They may even develop a secondary cancer.

Trevor Johnson survived leukemia twice - he was diagnosed at age four, and then again at age nine. The first time he got sick his treatment lasted more than two years, and he went into remission. When he was nine, an abnormal blood test showed that he had relapsed.

"I knew what was going on this time, that it wasn't great and I was going to have to fight it again," said Johnson, now 23.

"And then it would be more harsh because it came back again."

Radiation stunted Johnson's growth and left scar tissue in his spine. He's also on medication for minor heart problems that he developed due to his treatment.

"I have those side effects, and they will be with me for the rest of my life," Johnson said.

Dr. Paul Grundy, a pediatric oncologist from Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, said that few people seem to understand that children can get cancer, and therefore don't know about the life-long effects.

"Leukemia: one of the most common side effects is on the brain," said Grundy. "We have to treat the brain with chemo and radiation, and we know that can damage the brain in a way that affects learning. And it often looks like a learning disorder. And this can have a lifelong impact on the child."

Grundy added: "Whereas the previous priority was all about the cure, now it's a significant shift. We're doing more research into these late side effects, what they are, what causes them."

Heather Logan of the Canadian Cancer Society said that further study needs to be done to understand the long-term impact cancer has on kids.

"Focusing on kids with cancer and risk for cancer will affect our long-term burden of cancer 30 to 40 years from now," said Logan.

The report is a collaborative effort between the Canadian Cancer Society, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Statistics Canada, provincial and territorial cancer registries and cancer researchers.

From a report by CTV's medical correspondent Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip.