Federal Government Bans Asbestos Use by 2018

On Thursday, December 15^th, the Canadian Government made a major announcement stating that they will be moving forward with a “whole-of-government approach to fulfill its commitment to ban asbestos and asbestos-containing products by 2018.”

The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health commented on the decision stating that “Across Canada and the world, asbestos-related cancers continue to hurt Canadian families and pose a significant burden for our health care systems. Our government is taking action to protect Canadians from substances such as asbestos that can be harmful to their health and safety.”

Canadian Cancer Survivor Network President & CEO Jackie Manthorne “Commends the federal government for moving forward with this initiative. With direct evidence proving that asbestos can cause both mesothelioma and lung cancer, we support the decision that works towards removing this material from Canadian buildings and homes. We also encourage the Federal government to continue to focus on providing Canadians with safe and healthy environments.”

 Below are some quick facts in regards to the announcement:

• Asbestos was declared a human carcinogen by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer in 1987.
• At the height of its use, asbestos was found in more than 3,000 applications worldwide; however, production and use have declined since the 1970s.
•  Effective April 1, 2016, the Government of Canada introduced a ban on the use of asbestos-containing materials in all new construction and renovation projects under the purview of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).
• PSPC has published a National Asbestos Inventory of federal buildings containing asbestos that it owns or leases.
• There are no significant health risks if materials containing asbestos in homes are tightly bound and left undisturbed.
• The government participates in the Rotterdam Convention, whose objective is to protect human health and the environment by promoting informed decisions about the import and management of certain hazardous chemicals.

If you would like to read the full press release, please click here.

If you are interested in learning more about asbestos, mesothelioma and lung cancer, please click here.

For additional information, please contact:

Jackie Manthorne

President & CEO
Canadian Cancer Survivor Network
1750 Courtwood Crescent, Suite 210
Ottawa, ON K2X 2B5
613-898-1871

jmanthorne@survivornet.ca

Is mammography in danger?

Not all that long ago in Canada, the triad of early detection of breast cancer was breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast exam, and mammography.  These three were the most widely used tools in the early detection of breast cancer.

However, in the late 1990 and early 2000s, breast self-examination came under attack, and even such organizations as the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation modified their recommendations from promoting BSE to promoting breast awareness “because there is insufficient or inconclusive scientific evidence of an effective BSE technique, or an effective way for health care providers to teach it to women, or that BSE reduces breast cancer mortality.” [1]

Although clinical breast exams (CBE) should be part of a regular check-up, many health care practitioners have either not been taught the correct way to perform CBE or do not have the time to include one in a patient’s annual check-up. In addition, the Ontario Breast Screening Program, which used to offer a clinical breast exam as well as a mammogram for women aged 59-70, no longer performs CBEs.

And increasingly, mammography has been under attack.

The latest in a fairly long line of studies that criticizes screening mammography is the Canadian National Breast Cancer Screening Study, “Too Much Mammography,” published on February 11, 2014 in The British Medical Journal (http://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g1403). This Canadian study followed approximately 90,000 women who were assigned to either receive regular mammograms or have no mammograms between the years 1980 and 1985. Researchers followed the participants for about another 25 years.

“During the screening period, approximately 660 invasive breast cancers were diagnosed in women who received mammograms, and about 520 cases were diagnosed in those who did not receive the screening. Among the women diagnosed through mammograms, 180 died of breast cancer, and 171 died from the group who were diagnosed without mammography.

“According to the findings, mammograms contributed to the over-diagnosis of breast cancer — meaning the screening detected a cancer that was not an actual threat to the woman’s health, but she still underwent chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation.”[2]

In her statement on the Canadian National Breast Screening Study, National Breast Cancer Coalition president Fran Visco says that the study “confirms NBCC’s long-held position that an enormous amount of resources and attention have been spent on mammography, despite the lack of strong evidence that screening significantly reduces mortality from breast cancer. The Canadian study found that 22% of women whose cancers were detected by mammograms were overdiagnosed and subjected to unnecessary treatment.”[3]

What’s a woman (or man) to do now?

Over 24,000 Canadians were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 – 23,800 women and 200 men[4] – so doing nothing is not an option, and early diagnosis is still important.

Already there are suggestions that we should take another look at breast self-exams and clinical breast exams.[5] Apparently one unexpected but positive outcome of the Canadian National Breast Cancer Screening Study was that “women who did not receive regular mammograms were instead monitored with physical breast exams that proved effective. All of the participants were taught to examine their own breasts once a month, and specially trained nurses examined women who were in their 50s. This low-tech approach, the researchers found, appeared to be as good as or better than regular mammograms at locating the serious cancers that needed treatment.”[6] Researchers went on to say that they were reluctant to address this, since it had not been the purpose of the study.

Confusing? Yes. Important? Undoubtedly. Implications for screening for other cancers? Evidently so:  several recent studies have reported on and described overdiagnosis and overtreatment of not only breast but also prostate and thyroid cancers, and to a lesser degree renal and lung cancer.[7] 

But when it comes right down to it, existing breast cancer screening methods are still breast self-examination, clinical breast examination and mammography.

And in fact, in a February 14, 2014 media release, Dr. Jacques Lévesque, President of the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR), the national association representing radiologists in Canada, stated that, “Women should continue to seek breast cancer screening using mammography, a form of x‐ray of the breast.” The CAR went on to say that they are very concerned that women will feel there is no need to pursue breast cancer screening, when in fact, several other breast cancer screening reports indicate the opposite.   

The CAR joined the American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging, who also have concerns that the report is “incredibly misleading analysis based on the deeply flawed and widely discredited Canadian National Breast Screening Study (CNBSS). The results of this BMJ study, and others resulting from the CNBSS trial, should not be used to create breast cancer screening policy as this would place a great many women at increased risk of dying unnecessarily from breast cancer.”[8]

The recently released CAR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards for Breast Imaging and Intervention, as well as referral guidelines for medical imaging for physicians, encourage women to speak with their physician about the right time to begin mammography exams. 

The Canadian Cancer Survivor Network will continue to address issues in cancer screening as they arise. We encourage patients, survivors and caregivers to share their thoughts and opinions about cancer screening by writing to jmanthorne@ccsn.ca .

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[1] Look and feel, https://www.cbcf.org/central/AboutBreastHealth/Breast-Awareness/be-breast-aware/Pages/Look-and-Feel.aspx

[2] Doctors critical of mammography study, NapaValleyRegister.com, February 24, 2014

[3] National Breast Cancer Coalition Statement on The Canadian National Breast Screening Study, http://www.breastcancerdeadline2020.org/about-nbcc/newsroom/2014PressReleases/CanadianScreeningStudyStatement.html

[4] Canadian Cancer Statistics 2013, http://www.cancer.ca/~/media/cancer.ca/CW/cancer%20information/cancer%20101/Canadian%20cancer%20statistics/canadian-cancer-statistics-2013-EN.pdf

[5] A fresh case for breast exams by Roni Caryn Rabin,  The New York Times, http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/17/a-fresh-case-for-breast-self-exams/?smid=tw-share

[6] Ibid

[7] PubMed, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22472510

[8] http://www.acr.org/News‐Publications/News/News‐Articles/2014/ACR/BMJ‐Article‐on‐Breast‐Cancer‐Screening‐

Effectiveness‐Incredibly‐Flawed‐and‐Misleading  

The Importance of Exercise for Cancer Prevention and Recurrence

By David Novak

Cancer is known as one the prevalent diseases in the world today. Every year millions of people are afflicted by this life-threatening disease. Cancer is a class of diseases wherein cells grow out of control. These cancerous cells can even spread to other parts of the body and destroy healthy tissues.

There is no proven way to completely prevent cancer, but there are steps that can lower your risk or keep it from occurring or recurring. Eating a healthy diet is always on the top of the list when it comes to cancer prevention. Certain components of food are found to help in lowering the risk of cancer, such as antioxidants, phytochemicals and omega-3 fatty acids. Physical activity may also reduce cancer risk by enhancing the immune system, preventing obesity, and reducing hormone levels and inflammation.

Surviving cancer is a major accomplishment of every cancer victim. It gives them a new priority in life, which is to prevent cancer from recurring. Same with cancer prevention during cancer treatment. Good food allows cancer victims to replenish all the nutrients that were loss during cancer treatment, as well as boost their weakened immune system. Exercise is also a great way in staving off cancer recurrence. Being physically active doesn’t mean you have to work out for hours. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercises each day.

EXERCISE FOR CANCER PREVENTION

Overweight and obesity have long been associated with many types of cancer. The best way to prevent prevalent diseases such as cancer is to maintain a healthy physique by means of proper nutrition and exercise. As stated by the World Health Organization, limiting weight gain during adulthood can reduce the risk of certain cancers such as colon cancer, renal cell cancer, thyroid cancer and postmenopausal breast cancer.

●        Colon cancer - based on research from the National Cancer Institute, there is a 40% to 50% lower risk of colon cancer to those people who exercise regularly. Some evidence also shows that those who maintain an active lifestyle throughout their lives have the lowest risk.

●        Lung cancer - studies shows that those who exercise have lowered risk of developing lung cancer, though there is still no significant evidence to support this claim. Some say that this is because those who exercise are less likely to use tobacco.

●        Breast cancer - research shows that those who exercise from moderate to vigorous levels (three hours per week) have a 30% to 40% reduced risk of developing breast cancer.

●        Uterine cancer - there is a 38% to 46 % lower risk for uterine cancer for women who exercise regularly. Exercise reduces the risk of obesity as well as decreasing the estrogen level, which are both factors in uterine cancer development.

EXERCISE AFTER CANCER

Many oncologists have asserted that moderate physical activity can improve the wellbeing of cancer survivors. A majority of studies that use supervised exercise programs show that physical activity has beneficial effects on the physical fitness of cancer survivors. Several positive effects can be seen in their functional capacity, physical well-being, functional well-being and self-esteem, among others. Based on another study made by L.M. Oldervoll, there is indeed a promising effect of exercise during and after cancer treatment.

Exercise should be moderate for at least 2-3 hours a week. Moderate exercise is when you are doing a physical activity that increases your breathing and heart rate. This is done at a comfortable pace where you can still be able to hold a conversation. Before starting any exercise regime, discuss with your doctor the type and amount of exercise that is considered safe for you. Every cancer survivor has different limitations, thus what the others can do may be unsuitable for you.

Here are several benefits of exercise for cancer survivors:

➢        reduce cancer recurrence

➢        faster metabolism

➢        better weight control and management

➢        lower blood pressure

➢        improved flexibility

➢        improved cardiovascular function

➢        improved blood sugar regulation

➢        greater endurance

➢        improved cholesterol profiles

➢        better coordination and balance

➢        strengthened immune system

➢        prevention of osteoporosis

➢        less depression and anxiety

Physical activities you can do:

●        Start a daily walking routine in your neighborhood.

●        Ride your bike

●        Scrub your bathroom

●        Walk to lunch

●        Use the stairs instead of the elevator

●        Use an exercise bike or treadmill

●        Weed your garden

●        Dance to your favorite tune

●        Yoga

David Novak’s byline has appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world.  He’s an avid health enthusiast, and frequently is featured in regional and national health publications. He is also a weekly writer for Healthline.  To visit his other stories on Healthline, visit http://www.healthline.com/. 

Participants Needed: UBC Research Study - Lung Cancer Booklet

Are you related to a person with lung cancer? Do you smoke or have you recently quit?

Researchers at the University of British Columbia are looking for family members of lung cancer patients to participate in a research study.

Tell researchers what you think about a new booklet for family members about reducing and stopping smoking. Up to 2 hours of your time - $50.00 honorarium.

The feedback from the booklets will be summarized and the findings will be used to refine and improve the new booklet resources. Interested individuals will be asked to read the booklet and complete two telephone interviews (the total time to participate is less than 2 hours).

Your personal experience and feedback will make a big difference on the effectiveness of this resource.

For more information, please contact raquel.graham@ubc.ca or (250) 807-8054.