Cancer
Preventive Mastectomy: What Canadian Women Should Know
A preventive mastectomy is a surgery to remove one or both breasts before cancer develops. It is an option for women who have a …
Canada Health Journal
Cancer
Evidence-based health articles written and reviewed by licensed Canadian physicians.
Cancer
Mastectomy: What Canadian Women Need to Know
A mastectomy is a surgery to remove all or part of the breast. Doctors use it to treat or prevent breast cancer.
Cancer
Fatty Foods and Breast Cancer Risk After Menopause
New research suggests a clear link between fatty foods and breast cancer risk in women after menopause.
Cancer
High-Fat Diet and Breast Cancer Risk: What Women Should Know
New research suggests that a high-fat diet and breast cancer risk are closely linked. A large study found that women who get more …
Cancer
Early Signs of Breast Cancer: What to Watch For
The early signs of breast cancer can be easy to miss, but catching them sooner can make a real difference.
Cancer
Breast Cancer: Causes, Symptoms & Risk Factors
Breast cancer begins in the cells that line the ducts or lobules of the breast. When these cells grow out of control, they can …
Cancer
Gallbladder Cancer: Symptoms, Tests & Treatment
Your gallbladder is a small pouch located on the underside of your liver, in the upper right side of your abdomen.
Cancer
Liver Cancer: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Liver cancer occurs when malignant (cancerous) tumours form in the liver. These tumours can start directly in the liver, or they …
Cancer
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumours: Symptoms & Treatment
A gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) is a rare type of cancer that grows in the walls of the digestive tract.
Cancer
Gastrointestinal Cancer: What Canadians Should Know
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract runs from your mouth all the way to your anus. It includes the esophagus, stomach, small …
Cancer
Stomach Cancer: Symptoms, Stages & Treatment
Your stomach is a J-shaped organ in your upper abdomen. It stores food and helps break down nutrients like vitamins, minerals, …
Cancer
Esophageal Cancer: Symptoms, Stages & Diagnosis
The wall of the esophagus is made up of several layers of tissue. These layers include the mucous membrane, muscle tissue, and …
Cancer
Skin Cancer and Sun Exposure: What Canadians Must Know
Most of us love soaking up the sun — especially after a long Canadian winter. However, too much sun exposure is one of the leading …
Cancer
Skin Cancer Risk: Are You at Higher Risk?
Understanding your skin cancer risk is one of the most important steps you can take for your health.
Cancer
Melanoma: Signs, Causes & Prevention in Canada
Melanoma gets its name from the word meaning “black tumour.” It starts in cells called melanocytes, which produce melanin — the …
Cancer
Skin Cancer: Warning Signs, Moles & ABCDE Guide
Skin cancer begins when cells in the skin undergo changes that cause them to grow without stopping. As these cells multiply, they …
Cancer
Skin Biopsy: What Canadians Need to Know
A skin biopsy is one of the most reliable tools doctors use to diagnose skin cancer and other skin conditions.
Cancer
Caffeine and Exercise: Can They Prevent Skin Cancer?
Could your morning coffee and a trip to the gym actually help protect your skin? New research suggests that combining caffeine and …
Cancer
Melanoma Skin Cancer: Causes, Signs & When to Act
Melanoma begins when pigment-producing cells called melanocytes become abnormal. These cells then grow uncontrollably and invade …
Cancer
Melanoma Skin Cancer: Signs, Risks & When to Act
Melanoma develops in cells called melanocytes. These are the pigment-producing cells found in your skin.
Cancer
Lynch Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms & Genetic Testing
Lynch syndrome was formerly known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Doctors now use the term Lynch syndrome …
Cancer
Colorectal Cancer Prevention: What Canadians Should Know
Colorectal cancer begins in the large intestine, which includes the colon and the rectum. These are the final sections of your …
Cancer
Colon Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Risk Factors
Colon cancer is a tumour that forms in the colon, which is part of your large intestine. When cancer affects the last section of …
Cancer
Colon Cancer: Symptoms, Risks, and Treatment
The colon is the final section of your digestive tract. Like any tissue in the body, it can develop abnormal growths.
Cancer
Colorectal Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & What Canadians Should Know
Cancer develops when cells grow abnormally and form a mass called a tumour. In colorectal cancer, these abnormal cells grow in the …
Cancer
Anal Cancer: Symptoms, Stages & Treatment in Canada
The anus is the final part of the large intestine, located just after the rectum. It is the opening through which stool leaves the …
Cancer
Testicular Cancer Screening: What Canadian Men Should Know
Cancer screening means examining a person for early signs of cancer, even when they feel perfectly healthy.
Cancer
Endometrial Cancer Screening: What Canadian Women Should Know
Endometrial cancer is a cancer that starts in the endometrium. The endometrium is the thin layer of tissue that lines the inside …
Cancer
Endometrial Cancer Prevention: What Women Should Know
Endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system. It affects the inner lining of the uterus, known …
Cancer
Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia: Symptoms & Treatment
Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia means that abnormal cells are growing within the skin of the vulva. The vulva is the outer part …
Cancer
Cervical Dysplasia: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Cervical dysplasia means the cells lining the cervix have changed in an abnormal way. Doctors also call this condition cervical …
Cancer
Testicular Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
The testicles are two small, oval-shaped glands located in the scrotum, the pouch of skin below the penis.
Cancer
Testicular Self-Exam: How to Check for Cancer
A testicular self-exam is one of the simplest things a man can do to protect his health. Testicular cancer is the most common …
Cancer
Penile Cancer: Symptoms, Stages & Treatment
Penile cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in the penis. It is considered rare compared to other cancers, but it …
Cancer
Endometrial Cancer: Symptoms, Risks & Treatment
The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman’s body. It is where a baby grows during pregnancy. The endometrium is the …
Cancer
Prostate Cancer Screening: PSA Test Guide for Canadians
The prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive system. It is roughly the size of a walnut and sits just below the bladder, …
Cancer
Ovarian Cancer: Symptoms, Risks & Treatment in Canada
Ovarian cancer begins in the ovaries, the two small organs that produce eggs and hormones in women.
Cancer
Ovarian Cancer Symptoms: 7 Warning Signs to Know
Ovarian cancer symptoms are often subtle, which is why this disease is sometimes called a “silent killer.” However, research shows …
Cancer
Viruses That Cause Cancer: What Canadians Should Know
Most of us have had a viral infection at some point — a sore throat, an upset stomach, or the common cold.
Cancer
Apples and Cancer Prevention: 5 Cancers They May Fight
You have probably heard the saying: an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But could there be real science behind it?
Cancer
Spinal Tumours: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
A spinal tumour is a mass of abnormal cells that grows inside the spinal canal, within the spinal cord itself, or in the bones of …
Cancer
Spinal Cord Tumours: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
The spine does much more than hold your body upright. It protects your spinal cord — a long bundle of nerve fibres that carries …
Cancer
Benign Tumours: Can They Turn Into Cancer?
A tumour is any abnormal growth of cells in the body. Not all tumours are cancer. Benign tumours do not invade nearby tissue and …
Cancer
Jaw Tumours: Types, Symptoms & Treatment Options
A jaw tumour is a mass of tissue caused by the abnormal, uncontrolled growth of cells in or around the mandible.
Cancer
Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumours: A Patient Guide
Gastrointestinal carcinoid tumours grow from special hormone-producing cells in the lining of the digestive tract.
Cancer
Cancer of Unknown Primary: Causes, Types & Treatment
In most cancers, doctors can trace the disease back to a single organ or tissue where it began.
Cancer
Liver Cancer Treatment: How Sorafenib Is Saving Lives
A promising liver cancer treatment called Sorafenib (brand name Nexavar) has shown remarkable results in a major clinical study.
Cancer
Lung Cancer: Causes, Symptoms & Treatments
Lung cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow uncontrolled in the lungs. These cells can form tumours in the bronchial tubes (the …
Cancer
Teratoma: Types, Symptoms, and Treatment
A teratoma is a rare type of tumour that can contain different kinds of tissue — including hair, teeth, bone, or muscle.
Cancer
Paraneoplastic Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Paraneoplastic syndrome is not a single disease. It is a collective term for a range of conditions that develop as a side effect …
Cancer
Cancer Diet: Nutrition Guide for Cancer Patients
A cancer diet is one of the most important — and often overlooked — parts of cancer care. What you eat during treatment can affect …
Cancer
Radical Prostatectomy: Robotic Surgery for Prostate Cancer
Radical prostatectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the entire prostate gland. The surgeon also removes both seminal …
Cancer
Early Cancer Symptoms: Warning Signs to Know
Recognizing early cancer symptoms can make a real difference in your health outcomes. Cancer is not one single disease — it is a …
Cancer
Malignant Pleural Effusion: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Your lungs sit inside a two-layered membrane called the pleura. Normally, a small amount of fluid keeps these layers moist and …
Cancer
Osteosarcoma: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that destroys healthy bone tissue as it grows. It most often appears near the knee — at the …
Cancer
Nephrosclerosis: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Nephrosclerosis — also called renal sclerosis or nephroangiosclerosis — refers to the hardening and thickening of the small …
Cancer
Bone Metastases: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
Cancer begins in one part of the body. Over time, cancer cells can break away and travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic …
Cancer
Lymphedema: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Your body has a network of vessels and nodes called the lymphatic system. This system moves a clear fluid called lymph through …
Cancer
Chemotherapy Side Effects: What Canadians Need to Know
The main goal of chemotherapy is to destroy cancer cells. It does this by targeting cells that divide quickly — which is exactly …
Cancer
Cancer Pain Management: What Canadians Need to Know
Cancer pain has more than one cause. A tumour can press on bones, nerves, or nearby organs. This pressure creates pain that can …
Cancer
Cancer Pain: Causes, Treatment & Relief Options
Cancer pain is not the same for everyone. It can feel sharp and stabbing, like a sudden jolt.
Cancer
Benign vs Malignant Tumours: Key Differences Explained
When a doctor finds a tumour, it can feel frightening. However, not every tumour means cancer.
Cancer
Cancer Prevention: 12 Tips to Lower Your Risk
Your body is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, these cells grow, do their job, and then die in a controlled way.
Cancer
Chemotherapy: What Every Canadian Should Know
Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs to target cells that grow and divide quickly. Cancer cells divide much faster than most …
Cancer
Cancer: What Every Canadian Should Know
Cancer develops when certain cells in the body start dividing in an uncontrolled way. Normally, cells grow, divide, and die in an …
Cancer
Tuberous Sclerosis: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
Tuberous sclerosis is a rare genetic disorder that triggers abnormal cell growth throughout the body.
Cancer
Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Skin Cancer Guide
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a form of skin cancer that starts in squamous cells. These are the thin, flat cells that make up …
Cancer
Kidney Cancer: Symptoms, Risks & Treatment in Canada
Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They sit on either side of your spine, toward the back of …
Cancer
Lung Cancer: Causes, Types & What Canadians Should Know
Lung cancer happens when cells inside the lungs grow out of control. These abnormal cells form a tumour that looks and behaves …
Cancer
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: What Canadians Should Know
Your lungs are two spongy organs sitting inside your chest, one on each side of your heart.
Cancer
Small Cell Lung Cancer: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Lung cancer develops when cells in the lung tissue begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way.
Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer: Symptoms, Types & Treatment
The pancreas is an organ tucked behind the stomach. It does two important jobs. It makes digestive enzymes that break down food, …
Cancer
Bone Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
Primary bone cancer starts in the cells of the bone itself. It is relatively rare, with only a small number of new cases diagnosed …
Cancer
Nasal Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
Nasal cancer refers to any cancer that starts inside the nose. This includes the nasal vestibule — the area just inside the …
Cancer
Breast Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Prevention Tips
Breast cancer begins when cells in the breast grow in an uncontrolled way. Normally, the body signals old or damaged cells to die …
Cancer
Stomach Cancer: Risks, Symptoms & When to Act
Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, happens when abnormal cells grow out of control in the lining of the stomach.
Cancer
Cancer Risk Factors: Your Questions Answered
Many Canadians have questions about cancer risk factors — and it can be hard to separate fact from fiction.
Cancer
Bladder Cancer: Symptoms, Risks & Treatment in Canada
Bladder cancer begins when cells lining the inside of the bladder develop changes in their DNA.
Cancer
Bladder Cancer: Stages, Symptoms & What to Expect
The bladder is a hollow, balloon-shaped organ in the lower abdomen. Its muscular walls expand when it stores urine and contract …
Cancer
Stomach Cancer: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
The stomach is a muscular, bag-like organ located in the upper middle part of your abdomen, just below your ribs.
Cancer
Colon Cancer Diet: Foods That Help Fight & Prevent It
A colon cancer diet plays a powerful role in both preventing and managing colorectal cancer.
Cancer
Appendix Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
The appendix is a small, finger-shaped pouch attached to the large intestine. It sits in the lower right side of your abdomen.
Cancer
Adrenal Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
Your body has two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney. These glands produce important hormones that help control blood …
Cancer
Cancer: Causes, Types, and Warning Signs
Normally, your body’s cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly way. Cancer disrupts this process. Cells begin to multiply in an …
Cancer
Small Bowel Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
The small intestine is roughly six metres long and makes up more than 70% of the length of your digestive tract.
Cancer
Brachytherapy: Internal Radiation for Cancer
Brachytherapy is sometimes called internal radiation therapy. The word comes from the Greek word “brachy,” meaning short distance …
Cancer
Von Hippel-Lindau Disease: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
Von Hippel-Lindau disease — also called VHL disease or Hippel-Lindau syndrome — is a hereditary condition caused by a mutation in …
Cancer
Warning Signs of Cancer in Women Often Ignored
The warning signs of cancer in women are often easy to brush off as nothing serious. Bloating, fatigue, or a few extra pounds lost …
Cancer
Cancer Prevention: 10 Tips to Lower Your Risk
According to Health Canada, cancer is the leading cause of death in the country. About 1 in 2 Canadians will develop cancer in …