Almost half of all Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. That’s according to new statistics from the Canadian Cancer Society.

The Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton sees thousands of new patients every year. Doctors say they’re not seeing a large increase in specific kinds of cancers, it’s the increasing life span of Canadians that’s partly responsible for these new numbers.

The new stats are mostly a reflection of the growing and ageing population. Nearly 90% of cancers are diagnosed in people aged 50 and up.

The Canadian Cancer Society report also found that one in four Canadians will die from cancer. It’s the leading cause of death in Canada but despite that, mortality rates have been declining.

The most commonly diagnosed cancers are, breast cancer, prostate cancer, testicular and colorectal cancer.