Cancer patterns in the Inuit population of Canada 1970-1984

1. Rates for lung cancer in Canadian Inuit are high and increasing for both men and women; in fact they are the highest reported rates for lung cancer among any Inuit population. 2. Cervical cancer in Canadian Inuit are high but rates appear to be stable, unlike the rapidly increasing trend reported in both Alaska and Greenland. 3. Rates for traditional Inuit cancers such as those of the nasopharynx and salivary gland do not appear to be declining in Canadian Inuit. 4. Rates for colorectal cancer in Canadian Inuit are similar to those expected for the Canadian population as a whole and do not appear to be increasing. 5. Finally, cancers traditionally reported to be rare in Inuit are still rare in the Canadian Inuit population; these include breast, prostate, bladder, and endometrial cancer. Cancer is a disease which can be controlled through prevention, early detection or treatment. The following future directions arising from this work reflect this paradigm. First, the Inuit cancer registry developed for this analysis will be used as a base for further research into environmental and genetic factors influencing cancer rates in the Inuit. Second, given that at least 40% of cancers in Canadian Inuit are cancers of the lung and cervix, health promotion programs should be developed to encourage tobacco-free environments to halt the epidemic of lung cancer, and also to make available Pap smear programs for early detection of cervical cancer. Third, health care services and programs, including diagnosis and treatment, should be culturally accessible to the Inuit population (6).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)