Highlights - Canadian Cancer Incidence Atlas, Volume 2, 2000-2006

• The Canadian Cancer Incidence Atlas is designed for individuals interested in geographic variations of cancer incidence in Canada, such as epidemiologists, educators, health planners, health researchers, clinicians, cancer registry staff and administrators.
• The atlas is useful for hypothesis generation and development of regional and national health priorities (potential for health promotion and risk reduction).
• Readers should be aware, however, that variations in cancer incidence may be a result of differences in cancer treatment and registration practices, in addition to lifestyle or environmental factors. As with other epidemiological studies using grouped data, the mapped data may indicate an association but should not be interpreted as proof of causation.
• Cancer incidence data were provided by the provincial and territorial cancer registries through the Canadian Cancer Registry database at Statistics Canada.
• The atlas includes 37 maps of incident cancers for 2000 to 2006 (32 sex- and site-specific maps; 5 site-specific maps, both sexes combined).
• Maps present data for the health regions of Canada (2007 boundaries).
• Maps demonstrate incidence rate ratios (for health regions relative to the Canadian average) and statistical significance.
• A second series of maps presents smoothed standardized incidence ratios (observed to expected cases) to illustrate broad spatial patterns.
• Summary text for each map includes descriptive epidemiology, known or suspected risk factors and assessment of geographical patterns.
• Possible explanations for the observed significant spatial aggregation varied by site, and included differences in lifestyle factors, such as diet and smoking, and cancer registration practices.

Cancer in Canada - An Epidemiologic Overview provides an overview of the epidemiology of the 23 most common cancer sites in Canada. This overview report is based on and is an excerpt from the Cancer Incidence Atlas - Volume 2, 2000-2006.

To obtain an electronic/accessible version of the complete Cancer Incidence Atlas V2, please send your request by e-mail to: ci.atlas.ic@phac-aspc.gc.ca