Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · May 2019
Estimates of the current and future burden of cancer attributable to alcohol consumption in Canada.
Alcohol consumption is associated with elevated risk of oropharyngeal, laryngeal, esophageal, colon, rectal, breast, liver, pancreatic and stomach cancers. The purpose of this analysis was to provide national and provincial estimates of the number and proportion of cancers attributable to alcohol consumption in Canada and to project the numbers of potentially avoidable cancers using possible intervention scenarios. We estimated the population attributable risk (PAR) for cancers associated with alcohol consumption levels (drinks/day) using: i) relative risks obtained from the World Cancer Research Fund/(WCRF) reports or meta-analyses, ii) alcohol consumption (prevalence) data from the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey, and iii) cancer incidence data from the 2015 Canadian Cancer Registry. ⋯ At the current consumption levels, alcohol-attributable cancers are expected to increase to 10,122 (8.8% of cases among alcohol-associated cancers) by 2042. Under the best case scenario, reducing alcohol consumption to 50% of 2003 levels by 2032, could prevent 70,261 cases by 2042. Strategies that effectively reduce alcohol consumption at a population level can have a meaningful impact on reducing the cancer burden in Canada.
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Preventive medicine · May 2019
The current burden of cancer attributable to occupational exposures in Canada.
Exposure to occupational carcinogens is often overlooked as a contributor to the burden of cancer. To estimate the proportion of cancer cases attributable to occupational exposure in Canada in 2011, exposure prevalence and levels of 44 carcinogens were informed by data from the Canadian carcinogen exposure surveillance project (CAREX Canada). These were used with Canadian Census (between 1961 and 2011) and Labour Force Survey (annual surveys between 1976 and 2013) data to estimate the number of workers ever exposed to occupational carcinogens. ⋯ Overall, we estimated that in 2011, between 3.9% (95% CI: 3.1%-8.1%) and 4.2% (95% CI: 3.3%-8.7%) of all incident cases of cancer were due to occupational exposure, corresponding to lower and upper numbers of 7700-21,800 cases. Five of the cancer sites - mesothelioma, non-melanoma skin cancer, lung, female breast, and urinary bladder - account for a total of 7600 to 21,200 cancers attributable to occupational exposures such as solar radiation, asbestos, diesel engine exhaust, crystalline silica, and night shift work. Our study highlights cancer sites and occupational exposures that need recognition and efforts by all stakeholders to avoid preventable cancers in the future.
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Preventive medicine · May 2019
Estimates of the current and future burden of cancer attributable to red and processed meat consumption in Canada.
Red meat and processed meat have been consistently associated with an increased risk of colorectal, stomach, pancreatic cancer and esophageal cancer (processed meat only). The purpose of this analysis was to estimate the current attributable and future avoidable burden of cancer related to red and processed meat consumption in Canada. We estimated the population attributable risk of cancer separately for red meat consumption (beef, lamb, and pork, excluding processed meat) and processed meat consumption (sausage and bacon) incorporating current cancer incidence data, relative risks, and exposure prevalence. ⋯ A mean decrease of 0.5 servings/week of red meat or processed meat could prevent about 8700 or 16,600 cancer cases, respectively, between 2015 and 2042. In conclusion, a small but meaningful cancer burden is associated with red and processed meat consumption. Interventions aimed at reducing consumption at the population level have the potential in the prevention of many cancers in Canada.
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Preventive medicine · May 2019
Estimates of the current and future burden of lung cancer attributable to PM2.5 in Canada.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified PM2.5 (fine particulate matter, PM2.5) as a lung cancer carcinogen in humans. We estimated the proportion of lung cancer cases attributable to PM2.5 exposure in Canada in 2015, and future avoidable cancers over the period 2016-2042 under different future exposure scenarios. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the relative risk of lung cancer associated with PM2.5 that was generalizable to Canada. ⋯ The PAR for PM2.5 was estimated at 6.9%, accounting for 1739 attributable lung cancer cases in 2015. If patterns of decline in PM2.5 continue, over 3000 lung cancer cases could be prevented between 2016 and 2042. Exposure to PM2.5 contributes to a considerable burden of lung cancer in Canada and policies aimed at sustaining outdoor PM2.5 declines are important for lung cancer prevention in Canada.
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Preventive medicine · May 2019
Estimates of the current and future burden of cancer attributable to active and passive tobacco smoking in Canada.
Although previous studies have examined the burden of cancer attributable to tobacco smoking, updated estimates are needed given the dramatic changes in smoking behaviours over the last 20 years. In this study, we estimate the proportion of cancer cases in 2015 attributable to past tobacco smoking and passive exposure in Canada and the proportion of cancers in the future that could be prevented through the implementation of interventions targeted at reducing tobacco use. Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2003) were used to estimate the prevalence of active tobacco smoking and passive exposure. ⋯ Between 41,191 and 50,696 cases of cancer could be prevented by 2042 under various prevention scenarios. By decreasing passive tobacco exposure by 10-50%, between 730 and 3650 cancer cases could be prevented by 2042. Strategies focused on reducing the prevalence of tobacco smoking are crucial for cancer control in Canada.