Cancer rates among Canadian women age 50 and younger are twice as high as those of men in the same age group, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc.
The report analyzed health claims data from more than three million plan members and 20,000 employers. It found cancer continued to drive a higher share of long-term disability claims for women and breast cancer diagnoses increased sharply over the past 30 years. It noted these patterns pointed to the need for employers to understand how early detection, treatment and return-to-work support affected employees’ physical and mental recovery.
Read: Breast Cancer Awareness Month: How employers can support employees through treatment and recovery
Migraine was another growing concern. Women were three-times more likely to experience migraine than men, and drug claims were four- to five-times higher for women. Women aged 40 to 59 recorded the highest rates of migraine medication use, reflecting how symptoms often intensified during perimenopause and postmenopause.
Chronic disease trends also shifted. Women’s claims for diabetes medications rose 40 per cent faster than men’s and women younger than age 30 made more claims for diabetes and high blood pressure than young men. The report noted these emerging patterns among younger women may signal longer-term impacts on disability, productivity and overall plan costs.
Mental health remained deeply connected to these trends. Women reported far more mental health–related disability claims, with 45 per cent of women’s disability claims tied to mental health compared to 33 per cent for men. The report also highlighted how caregiving responsibilities, menopause and extreme weather events continued to affect women disproportionately and at earlier ages.
Read: Report finds gaps persist for women’s mental-health support, resources