Nova Scotia Health is investigating cancer risks in hundreds of communities

Nova Scotia Health researchers are examining local cancer data as part of a new study, aiming to provide evidence the province can use to tailor cancer prevention measures to different communities.

The Nova Scotia Community Cancer Matrix study analyzes the risk of 22 different types of cancer in 301 communities.

Lead researcher Nathalie Saint-Jacques said this is the first research project in Atlantic Canada to look at cancer data at such a local level.

This is important because state and county data are not enough to determine where the province should focus its cancer prevention efforts, Saint-Jacques said.

“We have limited [resources] and we know that 50 percent of cancers are caused by factors that are preventable and therefore they are preventable,” she said. “So cancer prevention is really the most cost-effective and sustainable way to [control] cancer.”

Higher risk of bladder cancer in the Southwest

This research is also important because Nova Scotia has one of the highest rates of cancer and prevalence of carcinogens in the country, said Krista Rigby, director of population oncology at Nova Scotia Health.

The study examines which communities have had higher than average cancer rates over time and what factors may be driving those higher risks.

It also examines how social and economic factors such as income can affect a community’s ability to address cancer risks.

For example, some people cannot afford tests needed to identify carcinogenic factors such as exposure to radon or arsenic in well water. Others may not be able to pay for measures needed to reduce or eliminate those risks once they’re identified, Rigby said.

a peer-reviewed paper research on lung and bladder cancer has recently been published as part of this ongoing research.

One key finding, Saint-Jacques said, was that many communities in southwestern Nova Scotia have had a persistently higher risk of bladder cancer compared to others in the province.

The study also found that communities in parts of the province, such as Cape Breton, may have different risk factors for lung cancer compared to suburban Halifax.

Research is a starting point

“This is a place to start the discussion,” Rigby said, adding that cancer prevention is complex and requires collaboration between government, research and healthcare organizations.

“It is truly [about] being able to put policies and, you know, financial support … in place so that everyone has access to mitigate these risks no matter where they are in the county,” Rigby said.

Cancer prevention can also help address chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, which share risk factors with cancer.

“If we can really make a difference with prevention activities, improving the health of Nova Scotians…I think we’ll be better off all around,” Rigby said.

The researchers are now expanding their scope to 465 communities in Atlantic Canada.