Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Krutko on September 25, on cancer studies in the MacKenzie Delta. On September 25, 1998, you expressed concern over high cancer rates in the Mackenzie Delta and you asked me what studies have been done and where they are.
The Government of the Northwest Territories, through the Department of Health and Social Services, maintains a Cancer Registry under the Disease Registries Act. It is a legal duty of health professionals in the NWT to report every newly diagnosed case of cancer to the registry.
Information gathered in the Cancer Registry is reviewed annually and reports are produced periodically. The analyses are usually published in EpiNorth, our epidemiological newsletter. Data is also regularly provided back to health and social services boards upon request.
Cancer rates in the NWT, although rising, still remain lower than the rest of Canada. This is also true of the Mackenzie Delta region. The types of cancer which are on the rise include lung cancer, strongly linked to high rates of tobacco smoking, and cancer of the large intestine and rectum, associated with dietary changes away from traditional foods towards those that are fried, high in saturated fats, and low in fibre, vitamins and trace minerals.
The perception that cancer rates are high in many NWT communities relates to the following:
-cancer rates were traditionally quite low among aboriginal people and the rise in the past two or three decades has been noticeable;
-cancer is a disease associated with aging; as the numbers of elders increase, so do the numbers of people with cancer; and,
-people with cancer are also more "visible" in small communities as compared with large centres; proportionally more people are aware or touched by each new case of cancer.
The department is quite concerned about this issue. In collaboration with aboriginal partners, a project is currently underway to develop a communications package to facilitate discussions about cancer at the community and regional levels. A workshop was held in Yellowknife on October 14-15, 1998. It was coordinated by the Dene Nation and included participation from regional stakeholders. Once a communications package has been developed, it will be provided to the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board for use at the community level in your region. Thank you.