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CancerreportreleasefrustratesFortChipewyanleadersReportsayscancerratesoverallnotmoreelevatedthanrestofprovinceHealthWellnessCancer6TuesdayApril12014ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAreportreleasedlastweekbyAlbertastopdoctoronincidencesofcancerinFortChipewyanhascausedangerdoubtandfrustrationinthecommunitywhoseleadersareupsetthedatawasnotsharedwiththemfirstbeforebeingmadepublic.Thereportshowsthreetypesofcancerareoccur-ringmorefrequentlyinFortChipewyanthantherestoftheprovincethoughratesofmostcancersarenormaloverall.CompiledbytheofficeofAlbertaschiefmedicalofficerDr.JamesTalbotthedatafrom1992-2011showsthatoverallcan-cerratesintheregionarewhatwouldbeexpectedintherestofAlberta.Accordingtothereporttherewere81casesofcan-cerreportedinthestudyperiodwheretheexpectednumberwouldbe79cases.Whilethenumbersmeanthatcancersarenotsigni-cantlyhigherthanexpectedTalbotsaidthehigher-than-averagefrequencyofcervi-calcancerlungcancerandbileductcancerarecauseforconcern.Withinthestudyperiodtherewerefourreportedcasesofcervicalcancerwhenonlyonewouldbeexpected.Forlungcancerinwomentherewereeightcaseswhilefourwouldbeexpected.Forbileductcanceraveryrareformofcan-certypicallyaffectingfewerthanonein200000peopletherewerethreecaseswhenTalbotsaidtheywouldexpectzero.AfourthcaseofbileductcancerwasrecentlydetectedinFortChipbutfallsoutsideofthestudyperiod.Whilehigherthanav-eragethenumbersforallthreecancersarelowTal-botsaid.TalbotsaidthehumanpapillomavirusHPVhasbeendeterminedtobetheprimaryriskfactorforcervicalcancerandthatvaccinesandregularpapsmearswouldaidinpre-vention.Forlungcancerhesaidtheprimaryriskfactoristobaccouse.Bileductcancerismorecomplicatedthedoctorsaid.TheAmericanCancerSocietyhasoutlinedmorethanadozencauseswhichincludeobesitydiabetescirrhosisandHepatitisCamongothers.Whileitsdifculttopreventbecausetherearemultipleriskfactorsthoseriskfactorscanbereducedwithchronicdiseasepre-ventionprogramsTalbotsaidaddingthatAlbertaHealthServicesiscom-mittedtoworkingwiththecommunityonpreventingthosecancers.GrossnegligencebyprovincechiefTalbotreleasedthestudylastMondayviaapresscon-ferencethoughthematerialwasoriginallysupposedtobegiventothecommunitybeforehand.Ameetingbe-tweenTalbotandthecom-munitywasscheduledforFebruarybutFirstNationleaderscancelleditaftertheprovincerefusedtogivethemthedataaheadoftime.BoththeAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNandMikisewCreeFirstNationwereoutragedtoheartheresultsofthecancerreportthroughmediaratherthandirectlyfromthegovernment.Whythegovernmentcon-tinuestounderminethelead-ershipofFortChipewyanisbeyondmesaidMikisewChiefSteveCourtoreille.HealthMinisterHornehadpromisedtogetusacopyofthereportpriortoreleas-ingthesestatisticsandthatdidnthappen.WhileacopyofthereportobtainedbytheLiberalPartyhealthcriticthroughFreedomofinformationandProtectionandPrivacywassenttotheNuneeHealthAuthorityinFortChipewyanlateonFri-dayitdidnotreachleadersuntilMondaymorning.Thecommunitywasnototherwisenotiedofthepressconferenceorinvitedtoattend.ACFNattendedthepressconferenceviaconferencecall.Thisisgrossnegli-gence.TheleadersofFortChipewyanhavebeenre-questingathoroughanal-ysisonincidencesofcan-cerinourcommunityforyears.Notonlywasthisresearchandstudydonewithoutourdirectpartici-pationwewereleftinthedarkaboutkeyfindingsandtheannouncementofthereleasetothepublicACFNChiefAllanAdamsaidinastatementreleasedMonday.AccordingtoACFNAl-bertaHealthServiceshadagreedtorescheduleanewmeetingdatetosharetheirndingswithleadersinFortChipewyanrst.Adatehadnotbeenconrmedwhenthereportwasreleased.Itsdisappointingtoknowthatourrequeststobeprop-erlyinformedarerepeat-edlydenied.Thisinforma-tionisaboutourpeopleourhealthandourconcernsAdamsaid.Whyisitthatopposi-tionleadersaremoreopentosharinginformationwithourNationthanthecurrentAlbertaHouseleadersWhyarewealmostalwaysthelasttoknowLeaderssaidtheyques-tionthemethodologyofthereportwhichisnotpeerreviewedandfailstodrawconclusiveresultsastothecausesofthethreecancersinquestion.ThegovernmentofAlbertahasconsistentlydownplayedthesignifi-canceofcancerinmycommunityandtheyhavedonethatagaintodayintheirreportstothemediathatthereisnoreasonforalarmCourtoreillesaidonMonday.Itstimeforarealstudythatispeerreviewedanddoneinpartnershipwithourcom-munitiesAdamsaid.FilephotoThegovernmentofAlbertahasconsistentlydownplayedthesignicanceofcancerinmycommunityandtheyhavedonethatagaintodayintheirreportstothemediathatthereisnoreasonforalarm.ChiefStevenCourtoreilleMikisewCreeFirstNationThecommunityofFortChipewyanisfrustratedwiththeprovinceaftercancerstatisticswerereleasedtothepublicwithoutnotifyingleadersbeforehand.