New cancer cases and deaths has been increasing steadily as Canada's population grows and ages.

The Canadian Cancer Society and Public Health Agency of Canada released their annual report on cancer statistics on Wednesday.

Current estimates suggested that an estimated 202,400 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Canada this year and there will be 78,800 deaths from cancer.

Canadians aged 50 to 79 represent about 70 per cent of all new cancer cases and almost 62 per cent of cancer deaths.

Half of new cancer cases will be lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. Of these, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, more than the other three combined.

While the majority of Canadians who develop cancer, 89 per cent, are over the age of 50, cancer was also the leading cause of disease-related death in children under the age of 15 in 2012.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, responsible for 30 per cent of all deaths, followed by cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke, and accidents.

The report includes a chapter on HPV-associated cancers. Almost 4,400 Canadians will be diagnosed with HPV cancers this year. Mouth and throat cancers now represent about a third of HPV cancers in the country.

The HPV vaccine that plays a role in cancer prevention is offered to girls in all provinces and territories and to boys in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, P.E.I. and Quebec.

The Canadian Cancer Society is calling on other provinces and territories to expand free vaccination programs to boys.

By Prakriti Neogi