More Canadians aged 15 to 29 are surviving cancer, but the diagnosis can disrupt their plans to start careers and families, the Canadian Cancer Society said Thursday.

The society released its annual cancer statistics update, focusing on teens and young people.

'Probably the No. 1 thing is be aware of what is normal for your body and go to your doctor when you notice any changes.'— Heather Chappell

"Having to deal with a cancer diagnosis at this age can throw them completely off track," said Heather Chappell, senior manager of cancer control policy for the Canadian Cancer Society.

The society estimates there are about 2,075 young people in Canada between 15 and 29 years of age diagnosed each year with cancer and about 326 deaths per year in that age group. The five-year survival for this age group is 85 per cent — a five per cent increase from 1992 to 1995.

Cancer incidence rates rose by 0.8 per cent per year in males and by 1.4 per cent per year in females aged 15 to 29 between 1996 and 2005, according to the report.

Cancer death rates declined in young women and young men in the decade from 1996 to 2005, dropping by 1.4 per cent a year in females and 2.9 per cent a year in males.

But cancers tend to be a bit more aggressive and faster growing among younger age groups, which makes screening difficult, said Chappell, noting that more cases of thyroid cancers are being diagnosed, particularly among younger people.

The most common cancers among young women are thyroid cancer and lymphoma. Among young men it's testicular cancer and lymphoma, according to the report.

The most common cause of cancer deaths among this age group was leukemia.

'Career on hold'

"Probably the No. 1 thing is be aware of what is normal for your body and go to your doctor when you notice any changes," Chappell suggested.

Young women should be aware of what's normal for their skin and breasts, and young men should take note of what is normal for their testicles and skin, she added.

Young people with cancer face unique challenges since they may respond to treatments differently than children or adults, Chappell said.

Shawn Sajkowski was 25 when he discovered a lump in his inner thigh. A diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was followed by 19 rounds of chemotherapy, three relapses, countless blood transfusions and then a stem cell transplant from his brother three years ago.

"I had to put my career on hold while I watched my colleagues advance in theirs," Sajkowski recalled.

"I struggled with relationships in my life while my friends settled and got married … the added stress on my parents trying to learn how to cope with a sick child."

More information is needed about the challenges that young people with cancer face, said Loraine Marrett, chair of the society's statistics steering committee and an epidemiologist with Cancer Care Ontario.

There are also only eight support groups for young people with cancer across Canada, said Geoff Eaton of St. John's, who was diagnosed with leukemia at age 22.

"Young adults with cancer want to connect with other young adults with cancer more than they want support from any other group," said Eaton, who now runs a website where young survivors can share their stories.

Prevention steps

The society advocates several measures to help prevent cancer and to promote early detection.

Since melanoma is common among young people, it's important to protect skin from UV radiation by wearing sunglasses, sunscreen, using shade and avoiding indoor tanning.

To minimize the risk of cervical cancer, the society is encouraging young women to get regular screening through Pap tests and consider the HPV vaccine.

The society also advocates:

• Maintaining a healthy body weight.
• Getting physical exercise regularly.
• Eating a healthy diet.
• Not smoking.

Overall, it's estimated that 171,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed this year, up 4,600 from last year. About 75,300 Canadians could die from cancer in 2009, up 1,500 from 2008.

The five-year survival rate for people diagnosed with cancer between 2002 and 2004 is 62 per cent, up 4.5 per cent from a decade earlier.

With files from The Canadian Press