Three types of cancer are more prevalent in Fort Chipewyan than expected, says Alberta’s chief medical officer of health.
Dr. James Talbot provided an updated Alberta Health Services’ cancer report to the Nunee Health Authority Board in Fort Chipewyan and shared the information with the rest of the province at a Monday press conference.
“While this report shows slightly higher rates of three specific types of cancer, the overall cancer rate in the community is not significantly higher than expected. Our goal is to work with the community to improve the health of the people living in Fort Chipewyan, based on these results,” said Talbot.
The cancer report findings (period between 1992 and 2011) include:
• Overall cancer rate – there were 81 cases of cancer reported. The expected number would be 79 cases. This means the overall number of cancers is not significantly higher than expected.
• Cervical cancer rate – four cases of cervical cancer were reported. One case would be expected.
• Biliary tract cancer rate – three cases were reported; none would be expected. Another case of biliary tract cancer has been confirmed in the region, but is not included in the period examined in this report. This case is being reviewed and will be included in future updates on cancer rates in Fort Chipewyan.
• Lung cancer rate – there were eight cases of lung cancer among women. Four cases would be expected.
The number of cases of cervical cancer and biliary tract cancer are statistically higher than expected, while the number of female lung cancer cases is close to being statistically higher than expected. Talbot has recommended a number of potential next steps which he will be discussing with the Nunee Health Authority, the community, Alberta Health Services, and First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.
• Increasing the number of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccinations;
• Enhancing smoking prevention and cessation efforts;
• Increasing pap smear screening and cervical cancer treatment programs; and
• Conducting a community health assessment focused on chronic disease prevention that is acceptable to the community.
While people living in and around Fort Chipewyan claimed that toxins from the oilsands have ended up in the Athabasca River that flows into Lake Athabasca, thereby causing increased forms of cancer, Talbot said there’s nothing to suggest any such thing.
“There isn’t much evidence for lung and cervical cancer to have an environmental cause at all. The American Cancer Society lists 12 causes that are known with good evidence to be risk factors for bile-duct cancer. None of those were chemicals that would be found in the environment,” he said.
“Amongst the ones that there are weaker evidence for; smoking, HIV infection, and some chemicals. There isn’t strong evidence for any of these cancers and environmental exposure.”
Since 2007, community leaders have been pushing for a comprehensive study of cancer rates in the region.
A previous study by the Alberta Cancer Board found higher than normal rates of cancer in the community, which officials at the time said was not cause for alarm, but further study.
Talbot says all three communities in the region had to agree on the chosen researcher and terms of the study, but the farthest negotiators have ever been able to secure is two out of the three.
“I would prefer to engage with the community. I think that we do need to take a look at some of the chronic risk factors. I’m fully prepared to engage in that discussion and move it forward,” he said.
“We need to determine the concerns of the community and exactly what they’d like measured.”
The report compared observed cancers in Fort Chipewyan to the number that would be expected based on age-adjusted Alberta averages. Data from the Alberta Cancer Registry, which contains information about anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer or who has died from cancer in Alberta, was used.
Community leaders in Fort Chipewyan say they were blindsided by the Monday release of cancer rates in the region by Alberta Health Services.
The Cancer Incidences Report evaluated reported cancer in the community of Fort Chipewyan between 1992 and 2011.
The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), the Mikisew Cree Nation, the Fort Chipewyan Metis Local, and the Nunee Health Board had cancelled a meeting with AHS in February because AHS would not allow them to see the report prior to the meeting.
Chief Allan Adam of the ACFN didn’t reach key leaders until Monday morning.
“It’s disappointing to know that our requests to be properly informed are repeatedly denied,” Adam said.
“This is gross negligence. This research and study done without our direct participation (and) we were left in the dark about key findings and the announcement of the release to the public.”
Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. James Talbot, said officials were informed that a Freedom Of Information request filed by a third party would force them to release the results before they could talk to the community.
“It’s unfortunate that the FOIP request interfered with what was my intention. I think that they know that we have been doing our best since the fall to arrange a meeting.” he said.
“It became common knowledge that we had this report — it was a matter of time before a FOIP request was filed.”
That third party was the Alberta Liberals, who say the report was prepared using data from the Alberta Cancer Registry and focused only on observed cases in the Fort Chipewyan postal code.
“Relying solely on postal code is misleading. Most are referred out from Fort Chip, so you need to track people through their treaty numbers not their postal code,” said Leader Raj Sherman, adding a push for a third-party study.
“At this point in time, when we got the government working so hard to deny what’s going on, we need an international study from an independent world-renown institution such as the WHO. Let’s stop trying to hide the facts and start facing them.”