Supplementary data: British Columbia

This page provides data visualizations related to the priorities for Canada’s cancer system, as well as accessible descriptions.

Download data tables for all indicators.

Priority 1 Action 1: Help people to stop smoking or not start in the first place and live healthier lives

Topic: Keeping people smoke-free
Title of image: Percentage of individuals (aged ≥ 12) classified as daily or occasional smokers in 2019
11% in B.C. and 14.7% in Canada
Data source: Canadian Community Health Survey

Topic: Keeping people smoke-free
Title of image: Percentage of individuals in BC (aged ≥ 18) classified as daily or occasional smokers in 2019, by household income quintile and sex
Note:

  • The percentage of people who smoke was generally higher for people with lower income compared to those with higher income
  • The percentage of people who smoke was generally higher for males compared to females.

Lowest male quintilt is 19.2%, female is 14.4%. Highest male quintile is 12.8%, female is 7.1%. Table to follow.
Title of table: Percentage of individuals in BC (aged ≥ 18) classified as daily or occasional smokers in 2019, by household income quintile and sex

Sex Quintile 1 Quintile 2 Quintile 3 Quintile 4 Quintile 5
Male 19.2% 15.3% 11.8% 10.7% 12.8%
Female 14.4% 10.5% 7.5% 6.9% 7.1%

Data source: Canadian Community Health Survey

Topic: Keeping people smoke-free
Title of image: Percentage of individuals in BC (aged ≥ 18) classified as daily or occasional smokers in 2019, by highest level of education
Notes:

  • The percentage of people who smoke was highest for those with less than a secondary school education level and decreased with higher levels of education (such as secondary and post-secondary).
  • The percentage of people who smoke was generally higher for males compared to females.

22.6% of males with less than secondary school and 17% of females smoke. 12.8% of males with a post-secondary education and 7.55 of females smoke. Table to follow.
Title of table: Percentage of individuals in BC (aged ≥ 18) classified as daily or occasional smokers in 2019, by highest level of education

Sex Less than secondary school graduation Secondary school graduation, no post-graduate education Post-secondary certificate/diploma or university degree
Male 17.0% 15.4% 12.8%
Female 22.6% 10.5% 7.5%

Data source: Canadian Community Health Survey

Topic: Maintaining healthy body weight
Title of image: Percentage of people living with obesity or overweight (aged ≥ 18) in 2019
Caveats/limitations: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthy living practices are not reflected in the data presented here.
While healthy living is an important goal for all British Columbians, it is important to note that other factors (i.e., social determinants of health) might prevent access to healthy food and safe public spaces to be active, and these factors are not evenly distributed across the population.
In B.C. 60.7% and in Canada 65.9%
Data source: Canadian Community Health Survey

Topic: Maintaining healthy body weight
Title of image: Percentage of people living with obesity or overweight in BC (aged ≥ 18) in 2017-2018, by income quintile and sex
Note: The percentage of people living with obesity or overweight was higher for males compared to females across all income levels.
Caveats/limitations: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthy living practices are not reflected in the data presented here.
While healthy living is an important goal for all British Columbians, it is important to note that other factors (i.e., social determinants of health) might prevent access to healthy food and safe public spaces to be active, and these factors are not evenly distributed across the population.
Lower quintile males 60.5%, females 50.3%. Upper quintile males 73.6%, females 51.7%. Table to follow.
Title of table: Percentage of people living with obesity or overweight in BC (aged ≥ 18) in 2017-2018, by income quintile and sex

Sex Quintile 1 Quintile 2 Quintile 3 Quintile 4 Quintile 5
Male 60.5% 64.3% 68.8% 70.6% 73.6%
Female 50.3% 54.4% 58.2% 54.5% 51.7%

Data source: Canadian Community Health Survey

Topic: Maintaining healthy body weight
Title of image: Percentage of people living with obesity or overweight in BC (aged ≥ 18) in 2017-2018, by sex
Caveats/limitations: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthy living practices are not reflected in the data presented here.
While healthy living is an important goal for all British Columbians, it is important to note that other factors (i.e., social determinants of health) might prevent access to healthy food and safe public spaces to be active, and these factors are not evenly distributed across the population.
Males 67.7% and females 53.8%
Data source: Canadian Community Health Survey

Priority 1 Action 2: Adopt proven practices known to reduce the risk of cancer

Topic: Increasing HPV vaccination
Title of image: Percentage of Grade 6 students who received two doses of HPV vaccination in the 2017-2018 school year
Males 64.6% and females 66.9%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Topic: Increasing genetic testing
Title of image: Percentage of patients diagnosed with breast, colorectal and ovarian cancers in 2019 who were referred for and received genetic testing results within 6 months of diagnosis
Caveats/limitations: Wait-times reflect waits for those patients diagnosed and referred for testing. Patients who have diagnoses but that are not referred for testing are not captured within these statistics.
Breast 73.3%, Colorectal 35.3%, Ovarian 50.6%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Priority 2 Action 1: Prioritize rapid access to appropriate diagnosis for those suspected of having cancer

Topic: Reducing wait for diagnosis
Title of image: Percentage of women that received their diagnosis within 5 weeks (no tissue sample) and 7 weeks (tissue sample) of their abnormal mammogram
Non-tissue 2019 87.7%, 2022 89.2%. Tissue 2019 62.6%, 2022 68.2%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

#p2a1-diagnose
Topic: Diagnosing cancer earlier
Title of image: Proportion of stage at diagnosis in BC in 2018
Caveats/limitations: Colorectal cancer stage information is incomplete for a moderate number of incident cases each year (19.3%) and thus these data must be interpreted with some caution.
Lung: 20.8% in Stage 3; 43.4% in Stage 4. Colorectal: 21.7% in Stage 2; 26.2% in Stage 3. Table to follow
Title of table: Proportion of stage at diagnosis in BC in 2018

Site Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Unknown/Occult NA
Lung 20.4% 8.0% 20.8% 43.4% 5.9% 1.4%
Colorectal 12.6% 21.7% 26.2% 20.2% 17.7% 1.6%

Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Topic: Diagnosing cancer earlier
Title of image: Age-standardized rate of stage 4 diagnosis in BC in 2018, by sex
Lung: 27.3% males; 23.0% in females; Colorectal: 11.9% males; 8.8% in females
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Priority 2 Action 2: Strengthen existing screening efforts and implement lung cancer screening programs across the country

Topic: Increasing participation in colorectal cancer screening
Title of image: Percentage of eligible people in BC who received colon screening using FIT, by sex
Caveats/limitations: Data does not truly reflect the proportion of the eligible population that is up to date for screening due to the exclusion of select procedures such as colonoscopies. Thus these data reflect the proportion of the eligible population who had a program FIT over this period. Data is not included for the Northern Health Authority.
Overall: 33.4%; males: 32.9%; females: 33.8%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Topic: Increasing participation in colorectal cancer screening
Title of image: Percentage of eligible people in BC who received colon screening using FIT, by sex and year
Caveats/limitations: Data does not truly reflect the proportion of the eligible population that is up to date for screening due to the exclusion of select procedures such as colonoscopies. Thus these data reflect the proportion of the eligible population who had a program FIT over this period. Data is not included for the Northern Health Authority.
2016: 29.2%, 2017: 29.4%, 2018: 32.2%, 2019: 34.4%, 2020: 33.4%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Priority 3 Action 1: Set best practices and standards for care delivery and promote their adoption

Topic: Implementing multidisciplinary care
Title of image: Proportion of surgeons performing rectal cancer surgery where more than two thirds of their patients are presented at a multidisciplinary care conference (MCC) in 2020
Caveats/limitations: 27 surgeons, who on average performed ≥5 rectal cancer surgeries per year in 2019 & 2020, were sent the survey (a locally designed survey from the rectal cancer surgical tumour group to collect data on their MDC practices). 18 responded, giving a 67% response rate. However, respondents constituted 90% of the rectal cancer surgery volume in 2019 and 2020 for all surgeons who were sent the survey.
Surgeons with at least two-third of patients presented at MCC: 83.3%. Surgeons with all patients presented at MCC: 55.6%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Priority 3 Action 2: Eliminate low-benefit practices and adopt high-value practices

Topic: Optimizing care at end of life
Title of image: Percentage of adult patients who received IV chemotherapy as an outpatient at a regional cancer centre within 14 days of death in 2019
Caveats/limitations: Includes only patients seen at BC Cancer centres. Includes only patients treated with IV chemotherapy; patients taking oral chemotherapy are excluded.
Overall: 6.6%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Topic: Optimizing care at end of life
Title of image: Percentage of adult patients who received IV chemotherapy as an outpatient at a regional cancer centre within 14 days of death in 2019
Caveats/limitations: Includes only patients seen at BC Cancer centres. Includes only patients treated with IV chemotherapy; patients taking oral chemotherapy are excluded.
Notes:

  • This measure has been consistent over the past 5 years of which it has been measured.
  • This baseline percentage can be used as a benchmark to assess effects of new efforts.

2015: 7.3%, 2016: 6.4%, 2017: 6.6%, 2018: 7.2%, 2019: 6.6%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Topic: Optimizing screening and appropriate follow-up
Title of image: Proportion of annual screening volume (for those who had a bilateral mammogram or Pap test), by age group in 2018
Breast: Age 30 to 39: 0.1%. Cervical: Overall (Age 18 to 24): 2.6%, Age 18 to 20: 0.2%. Age 21 to 24: 2.4%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Priority 4 Action 2: Ensure rural and remote communities have the resources required to better serve their people

Topic: Increasing access to virtual care
Title of image: Percentage of patients with cancer from rural/remote communities using virtual health appointments in FY 2020-2021, by treatment type and travel time
Overall: 60.5%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Topic: Increasing access to virtual care
Title of image: Percentage of patients with cancer from rural/remote communities using virtual health appointments in FY 2020-21, by treatment type and travel time
Caveats/limitations: Includes only individuals with valid postal codes in the BC Cancer EMR.
Notes:

  • The percentage of appointments done virtually was highest among encounters with a medical oncologist (70.6%) compared to radiation oncology (53.8%) and other specialities (22.9%).
  • The association between virtual health adoption and travel time was not monotonic with a slight higher percentage of virtual health appointments being completed among those patients living 2-4 hours from a cancer centre (66.2%) compared to those living 1-2 hours (57.2%) or ≥ 4 hours (57.5%) away from a centre.

BC Virtual health by type and time supplementary. Table to follow.
Title of table: Percentage of patients with cancer from rural/remote communities using virtual health appointment in FY 2020-21, by treatment type and travel time

Treatment type: Radiation Treatment type: Systemic Treatment type: Other Travel time: 1-2 hrs Travel time: 2-4 hrs Travel time: Greater than or equal to 4 hrs
53.8% 70.6% 22.9% 57.2% 66.2% 57.5%

Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs

Priority 5 Action 1: Deliver information and supports for people living with cancer, families and caregivers

Topic: Improving access to shared medical records
Title of image: Ratio of physicians on-boarded onto CareConnect to the number of unique physicians with privileges in each health authority
Caveats/limitations:

  • Data were provided in aggregate format by provincial or regional health authority. It is possible that some physicians have privileges in two separate health authorities and are thus double counted in either the numerator or denominator.
  • Includes only physicians with privileges in one of the regional or provincial health authorities. Data excludes any physicians without privileges.

Overall: 0.9%
Data source: Provincial cancer agencies and programs