Cancer rates for four types of cancers are on the rise locally, but so are survival rates.
Jonathan Foster, the Regional Vice President for Cancer Services for Windsor Regional Hospital, says the need has never been greater at the local cancer centre.
In 2024-2025, the centre saw about 5,000 new consults for new diagnoses of cancer, with over 116,000 visits across all types of services - a striking 10 per cent increase year over year that the hospital has seen.
Top diagnoses locally are lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer.
Despite these staggering numbers, Foster says survival rates are on the rise due to more efficient treatment options - such as the new radiation bunker at Windsor Regional Hospital. He adds that once the patient receives their official diagnosis, treatment begins within two weeks.
He says the need is there.
"In 2024-25, we saw about 5,000 new consults for new diagnoses of cancer just come through our centre, and about 116,000 visits across all types of service streams last year so that's about a 10 per cent increase year over year that we've seen steadily. Windsor-Essex has one of the highest growth projections for new cancers in all of Ontario."
Foster says survival rates have seen improvements.
"In some ways our treatments are becoming a little bit more efficient with the new radiation bunker that we installed, some patients require fewer doses of radiation. So, the fact that we're still having more treatments overall just tells you that the volume is magnified so much more. People are waiting less time to get in so we can get them in within quick timeframes, usually within about two weeks to start treatment."
He says an aging demographic is a big factor for these stats.
"People are also being exposed to a lot more environmental stressors, and pressures, and influences just in our environment in the community - stressful lifestyles, alcohol consumption, all of those things that contribute to cancer and we're just seeing a lot of those influences more and more. So, the best message is to make sure that you're getting your routine checkups with your primary healthcare provider."
Foster adds that these numbers aren't always a bad thing as it just means that more people are being treated and living longer.
He adds that the cancer centre is seeing these cancers present across all ages, but they're also seeing more annual screenings being completed at younger ages.
The age requirement for mammography screening, a tool used in early detection of breast cancer, recently changes from 49 to 40-years-old.