Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 17/98) - NWT residents continue to smoke their way to early graves according to figures recently released by Statistics Canada.

Information complied between 1991 and 1993 show the NWT has lung cancer rates of more than 132 per 100,000 population among men and more 69.2 cases per 100,000 women.

By comparison, Yukon males have rates of '98 per 100,000 among males and about 52.4 per 100,000 among the female population.

Nationally, there are 89 cases per 100,000 men and 43 for women.

"It's quite embarrassing," said the NWT's medical officer of health, Dr. Andre Corriveau when asked about the statistics.

"The rates of cancer are highest among the Inuit population."

Statistics Canada's report, "Cancer Incidence and Mortality Across Canada," has only recently been released.

Besides lung cancer, the report says that rates of stomach cancer in the NWT are also above national averages.

"Stomach cancer is associated with diets high in smoked, salted and pickled foods and low in fresh fruit and vegetables," the report's authors state.

"The significantly high rates of stomach cancer in Newfoundland likely reflect such diets, which are low in Vitamin C. Similar dietary factors could contribute to the high rates for stomach cancer in the Northwest Territories."

Across the country, there are 14.7 cases of stomach cancer among men per 100,000. In the NWT, the statistic is 40.2 per 100,000.

As it has been known for years, Corriveau says that as long as cigarette smoking remains a common addiction in the North, lung cancer rates will remain high.

Statistics Canada agrees.

"Lung cancer mortality rates in the Northwest Territories were about twice than the Canadian average, a result of high incidence rates among the Inuit, and a high prevalence of smoking among aboriginal people in the North," the report states.

The report also noted overall NWT numbers are increased by high cancer rates among the Inuit.

On the plus side, residents of the NWT are getting breast, prostate and colorectal cancer at a rate below the national average.

Corriveau says this is probably related to the traditional foods still eaten across the North.

"There are probably elements of diet that have been retained in the North that help us fight cancer," he said.