Sub-National Disparities in the Incidence of Cancers Associated with Modifiable Risk Factors: An Analysis of Canadian...

To examine subnational disparities between Canadian territories and provinces [covered in the Cancer in North America (CiNA) dataset] in the incidence of cancers grouped by association with modifiable risk factors (2010-2022).

CiNA public dataset was accessed, and information from nine Canadian jurisdictions about the following categories of cancers was included (cancers associated with physical inactivity; obesity; alcohol consumption; tobacco use; and Human Papillomavirus [HPV]-associated cancers). Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) were initially calculated for all years of the study (2010-2022) for each of the five categories, comparing ASIRs of territories vs ASIRs of provinces.

Among the five categories analyzed here, ASIRs were higher in the territories compared to provinces for cancers associated with physical inactivity (relative disparity= 1.05), cancers associated with obesity (relative disparity= 1.16), cancers associated with alcohol consumption (relative disparity = 1.21), cancers associated with tobacco use (relative disparity = 1.39), but not for HPV-associated cancers, where ASIR was numerically lower in the territories (relative disparity = 0.81).

Within the Canadian jurisdictions covered in the CiNA public dataset, pooled territorial jurisdictions have a higher incidence of cancers associated with physical inactivity, obesity, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use, but not a higher incidence of HPV-associated cancers, compared with pooled provincial jurisdictions.