Lost Life Impact: USA

TBS Editor's note: I looked high and low for this statistic for the U.S.A. but was unable to find it. So sorry. Hope the following will satisfy you:

• Cancer is the second leading cause of death in U.S (after heart disease): Cancer will account for 22.9% of all deaths.

Source: National Vital Statistics Report

• Lung, breast, prostate and colon cancer accounted for 56% of all cases in the U.S.

Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Lost Life Impact: Canada

The information below is based on data from the year 2000:

• Cancer is the leading cause of premature death – or early death – in Canada : 954,000 potential years were lost as a result of cancer. This represents 31 percent of the potential years of life lost resulting from all causes of death.
• Lung cancer was responsible for 247,000 potential years of life lost; representing 26 percent of the early death caused by cancer.
• The three leading cancers among men were lung, colorectal and prostate; accounting for 48 percent of the potential years of life lost due to cancer.
• The three leading cancers for women were lung, breast and colorectal accounting for 52 percent of potential years of life lost due to cancer.

The use of tobacco products is the single most important cause of preventable, early cancer deaths. Among men, smoking is responsible for more than one-third of potential years of life lost due to all cancers. Among women, smoking is responsible for about one-fifth of potential years of life lost due to all cancers.

Source: The Canadian Cancer Society Media Release