Highlights
- First Nations women are diagnosed with later stage breast cancer compared to non-First Nations women.
- Population growth accounts for 46% of the increase in cases.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Ontario, with approximately 8,700 new cases diagnosed in 2009. Despite the large number of new cases each year, incidence rates have stabilized at about 102 cases per 100,000 in the general population.[1]In contrast, among Ontario’s First Nations women, the incidence of breast cancer continues to increase.[2]
In addition to increasing incidence, survival following a breast cancer diagnosis is significantly worse among First Nations women compared to other women in the province.[3] The leading determinant of breast cancer survival is the stage at which it is detected, which is based on tumour size, lymph node involvement, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body.[4] For this reason, it is important to understand differences in stage at diagnosis between First Nations and non-First Nations women.
Recent work examining the stage at which First Nations (n=287) and non-First Nations (n=671) women were diagnosed with breast cancer in Ontario between 1995 and 2004 revealed that First Nations women were more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage. Only 34% of First Nations women were diagnosed at stage I when tumours are smaller and more receptive to treatment, compared to 44% of non-First Nations women.[5]
Disparities in the stage at which Ontario’s First Nations women are diagnosed with breast cancer highlight the need for improved screening and early diagnosis among these women. Issues such as breast cancer awareness and education, as well as accessibility and use of screening programs, need to be addressed. These require engagement and dialogue with Aboriginal groups including First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and Off-Reserve organizations.
Through the Aboriginal Cancer Strategy, Cancer Care Ontario is working hard to build collaborative partnerships with Aboriginal communities to improve cancer-related outcomes through timely, equitable access to an integrated system of excellent, coordinated and efficient programs in prevention, early detection, care, education and research.