Integrated Cancer Screening Program Announced

A new Integrated Cancer Screening Program is being launched at Regional Cancer Care Northwest to reach adults living in northern urban, rural and remote communities, with an emphasis on reaching First Nations adults. The Northwest is one of only four cancer programs selected by Cancer Care Ontario (out of 13 programs in the province) to receive $100,000 in support for the roll-out of this new program. The program is specifically designed to reach those who are “under screened” or who have never before had access to cancer screening programs.

Today, Dr. Linda Rabeneck, Vice-President, Prevention and Cancer Control at Cancer Care Ontario visited the Cancer Centre in Thunder Bay to make the announcement.

“Aboriginal and First Nation populations living in the Northwest are at a greater risk of being diagnosed with cancer than non-Aboriginal populations within the region, and we expect their rates to continue to increase significantly over the next few years,” said Dr. Rabeneck. “This is why we need to implement this program as soon as possible.”

Evidence suggests that Ontario First Nations experience 20 - 30% higher cancer mortality than the general population (Marrett, 2002). First Nations also have poorer 5-year survival rates; cancer is the third leading cause of death in First Nations men and women next to injury and circulatory diseases.

In First Nations women, breast cancer is more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage - 34% diagnosed at Stage 1 as compared to 44% of non First Nations women (A. Sheppard, 2010). As well, rates of colorectal cancer in First Nations men have surpassed the general population and continue to rise rapidly among First Nations women (Marrett, 2005).

“We are so very grateful to Dr. Linda Rabeneck’s team for recognizing the importance and urgency of this new program,” says Michael Power, Regional Vice President of Cancer Care Ontario and VP of Cancer & Diagnostic Services at TBRHSC. “We do not have any time to spare, we have to get a handle on this now and we are confident that we can.”

The new Integrated Cancer Screening program will deliver breast cancer screening using mammography, cervical cancer screening through Pap testing, and colorectal cancer screening using the fecal occult blood test – or FOBT kits. Regional Cancer Care Northwest is proposing changes to the mobile coach to support the delivery all three types of screening.

"Cancer screening is very important to First Nations ... early detection and diagnosis will help increase survival rates, especially for women,” says Mae Katt, a First Nation Nurse Practitioner. “In remote communities, health services are so overwhelmed right now with acute and emergency care that screening often gets missed ... the 40% shortage of nurses in some communities also means a lower priority for prevention and promotion programs."

The program is partnering with a number of leading First Nation health access centres and regional hospitals including Meno Ya Win Health Centre (a First Nations Centre of Excellence for health that opened in Sioux Lookout in 2010); the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority; and Health Canada’s First Nations Inuit Health, to name only a few.

“What we’re aiming to do with this program is narrow the gap and conveniently offer one-stop-services, starting with those who are already coming to the coach to receive breast cancer screening,” says Alison McMullen, Director of Preventive Oncology at Regional Cancer Care Northwest. “Potentially thousands of women across the region and new clients could receive all three cancer screening tests, particularly in areas where access is limited.” she explains.

The new Integrated Cancer Screening program reaching under screened and never-before-screened populations in the Northwest is expected to be up and running by November 2011.

:: Bio Dr. L. Rabeneck ::

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