Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1983 May;73(5):515–520. doi: 10.2105/ajph.73.5.515

Cancer surveillance in a remote Indian population in northwestern Ontario.

T K Young, J W Frank
PMCID: PMC1650820  PMID: 6837814

Abstract

The incidence and mortality rates of malignant neoplasms in an isolated Indian population in northwestern Ontario, Canada during the period 1972-81 were determined and age-adjusted comparisons with the Canadian national population computed. Indian men were at half the risk of developing and dying from cancer compared to Canadian men, while among women the risks were similar. The most outstanding feature was the high mortality and incidence rates of kidney cancer in both sexes (relative risks for mortality and incidence 7 to 13 times that for Canadians). Gallbladder cancer was of importance in females, similar to observations in other Amerindian groups. Low-risk sites among Indians included: lung in men, breast in women, and skin in both sexes. Other sites such as colon and prostate were common in both populations. Establishing baseline incidence and mortality data and continuing surveillance over a period of time in a well-defined, geographically isolated Native population undergoing rapid social change is of interest both epidemiologically and from the health service perspective. Further studies may elucidate risk factors, of which diet appears most responsible for the peculiar pattern observed.

Full text

PDF
515

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Armstrong B., Doll R. Environmental factors and cancer incidence and mortality in different countries, with special reference to dietary practices. Int J Cancer. 1975 Apr 15;15(4):617–631. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910150411. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bennington J. L., Laubscher F. A. Epidemiologic studies on carcinoma of the kidney. I. Association of renal adenocarcinoma with smoking. Cancer. 1968 Jun;21(6):1069–1071. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(196806)21:6<1069::aid-cncr2820210607>3.0.co;2-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Black W. C., Key C. R., Carmany T. B., Herman D. Carcinoma of the gallbladder in a population of Southwestern American Indians. Cancer. 1977 Mar;39(3):1267–1279. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197703)39:3<1267::aid-cncr2820390338>3.0.co;2-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brown J. E., Christensen C. Biliary tract disease among the Navajos. JAMA. 1967 Dec 11;202(11):1050–1052. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cohen A. J., Li F. P., Berg S., Marchetto D. J., Tsai S., Jacobs S. C., Brown R. S. Hereditary renal-cell carcinoma associated with a chromosomal translocation. N Engl J Med. 1979 Sep 13;301(11):592–595. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197909133011107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Creagan E. T., Fraumeni J. F., Jr Cancer mortality among American Indians, 1950-67. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1972 Oct;49(4):959–967. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gallagher R. P., Elwood J. M. Cancer mortality among Chinese, Japanese, and Indians in British Columbia, 1964-73. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 1979 Nov;(53):89–94. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HAENSZEL W., LOVELAND D. B., SIRKEN M. G. Lung-cancer mortality as related to residence and smoking histories. I. White males. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1962 Apr;28:947–1001. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hart J., Modan B., Shani M. Cholelithiasis in the aetiology of gallbladder neoplasms. Lancet. 1971 Jun 5;1(7710):1151–1153. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(71)91661-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kolonel L. N. Association of cadmium with renal cancer. Cancer. 1976 Apr;37(4):1782–1787. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197604)37:4<1782::aid-cncr2820370424>3.0.co;2-f. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lanier A. P., Blot W. J., Bender T. R., Fraumeni J. F., Jr Cancer in Alaskan Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1980 Nov;65(5):1157–1159. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Schaefer O., Hildes J. A., Medd L. M., Cameron D. G. The changing pattern of neoplastic disease in Canadian Eskimos. Can Med Assoc J. 1975 Jun 21;112(12):1399–1404. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Shennan D. H. Letter: Renal carcinoma and coffee consumption in 16 countries. Br J Cancer. 1973 Nov;28(5):473–474. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1973.176. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Szathmary E. J., Reed T. E. Caucasian admixture in two Ojibwa Indian communities in Ontario. Hum Biol. 1972 Dec;44(4):655–671. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. THOMAS G. W. Carcinoma among Labrador Eskimos and Indians. Can J Surg. 1961 Jul 4;4:465–468. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Thistle J. L., Schoenfield L. J. Lithogenic bile among young Indian women. N Engl J Med. 1971 Jan 28;284(4):177–181. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197101282840404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Thomas D. B. Epidemiologic studies of cancer in minority groups in the western United States. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 1979 Nov;(53):103–113. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. WARWICK O. H., PHILLIPS A. J. Cancer among Canadian Indians. Br J Cancer. 1954 Jun;8(2):223–230. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1954.22. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Williams C. N., Johnston J. L., Weldon K. L. Prevalence of gallstones and gallbladder disease in Canadian Micmac Indian women. Can Med Assoc J. 1977 Oct 8;117(7):758–760. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wynder E. L., Mabuchi K., Whitmore W. F., Jr Epidemiology of adenocarcinoma of the kidney. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1974 Dec;53(6):1619–1634. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Young T. K. Primary health care for isolated Indians in Northwestern Ontario. Public Health Rep. 1981 Sep-Oct;96(5):391–397. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Young T. K. Self-perceived and clinically assessed health status of Indians in Northwestern Ontario: analysis of a health survey. Can J Public Health. 1982 Jul-Aug;73(4):272–277. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES