About half of all cancers are caused by factors that can be prevented (GBD 2019 Cancer Risk Factors Collaborators 2022). Effective cancer control can thus benefit from combining both health care-based and preventive measures, where cancer prevention offers the most feasible, cost-effective and sustainable pathway towards global cancer control.
The Canadian Population Attributable Risk of Cancer (ComPARe) study reports on the number and percentage of cancer cases in Canada in 2015 resulting from modifiable risk factors.
It further estimates the impact of prevention interventions on future cancer incidence.
Several cancers can be prevented through healthy living and policies that protect the health of Nova Scotians. Many of the risk factors for cancer are also risk factors for other chronic diseases. Reducing cancer risk therefore reduces the risk of other chronic illness.
Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction reports that the overall economic cost of substance use in Canada in 2020 was $49.1 billion. This works out to $1,291 per person in the country. Over 62% of the total costs are from alcohol and tobacco alone.
Policies that create supportive environments, and make the healthy choice the easy choice, are more effective than individual or program approaches in improving population health. Policies have greater reach and offer a better chance of sustained change. Policy can impact multiple settings where we live, learn, work and play. The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer has developed a series of Prevention Policy Packs to guide evidence-informed decision-making in relation to cancer prevention policies.
Visit Cancer Prevention Policy Packs -- Canadian Partnership Against Cancer to access policy packs on the following topics:
Being able to identify, measure and map socio-economic status (SES) across communities is a critical step towards achieving greater health equity. This is particularly important in Nova Scotia, where both the rates of several cancers and prevalence of known risk factors are generally greater than those found elsewhere in Canada.
The Nova Scotia Community Socio-Economic Status (SES) Snapshot reports were developed in the context of the Nova Scotia Community Cancer Matrix (NSCCM), a research project funded by Research Nova Scotia and led by Dr. Nathalie Saint-Jacques, senior epidemiologist with the Nova Scotia Health Cancer Care Program.
These reports provide a window on the SES profile of communities included in each of the 37 Nova Scotia Health Community Health Boards (CHBs) distributed over four Health Management Zones. Some of the CHBs cross more than one zone, resulting in a total of 42 reports. The work reports on 301 communities, 23 cancer types and 99,000 cancer cases diagnosed over the period of 2001-2017.
The Dalhousie University Health Populations Institute is a multi-faculty research institute that aims to improve population health and health equity in Atlantic Canada. Learn more:
Cancer Care Program public subject guide: Preventing Cancer page
A series of infographics developed from the NS-Matrix presents information about the top 10 preventable cancers in Nova Scotia, including key risk factors, statistics, and steps to reduce modifiable risk.
Additional Resources:
Between 1984 and 2017, the incidence rate for melanoma in Canada increased an average of:
In Canadians aged 30 to 49 years, melanoma is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer, after thyroid and colorectal cancer.
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation through sunlight, tanning beds and sun lamps is a well-established risk factor for melanoma. (Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee et al., 2021)
It is anticipated that there will be a total of 410 cases of melanoma skin cancer diagnosed in Nova Scotia in 2022:
(Brenner et al., 2022)
UV radiation from the sun is also the primary cause of:
The Nova Scotia Cancer Care Program coordinates the Sun Safe Nova Scotia coalition, a network of agencies and individuals working collaboratively to support skin cancer prevention and risk reduction. The coalition takes a population health approach. Working with partners, they support policy and programming that encourages sun safety behaviour in priority settings.
1. Adopt sun protection policies to enable sun protective behaviour in:
SunSense is a national sun safety program developed by the Canadian Cancer Society. The program supports Canadian elementary schools to create a sun safe environment that protects students and staff from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Schools can become SunSense Certified by completing a five-step process. To learn more, view the SunSense Program Guide.
Nova Scotia's Department of Education and Early Childhood Development provides requirements for protection from the sun as appropriate for the UV Index conditions.
Regulated Child Care Settings: Section F: Ministerial Requirements for the Daily Program
Section 7.0 Environmental Conditions Definitions (ednet.ns.ca)
Reduce the risk of overexposure to the sun for staff and participants in day camps, overnight camps, parks, sports clubs and community public spaces by adopting summer sun safety policy and programs. Tools and resources are available to assist with the development, implementation and evaluation of policy, staff training, participant engagement and promotion. Sun Safe Play…Everyday! It Just Makes Sense.
Outdoor workers are at risk of:
The good news is that these risks are preventable.
Sun Safety at Work Canada (SSAWC) enhances sun safety for Canadian workplaces. Applying sun safety at workplaces can be challenging. SSAWC:
The SSAWC project was funded by Health Canada through the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. Funding for the ongoing maintenance of this website was provided by the Alberta Ministry of Labour and Immigration.
2. Adopt policies that ban the use and/or sale of commercial UV tanning beds. The Nova Scotia Tanning Beds Act was passed in 2010. This legislation bans access to UV indoor tanning services to anyone under the age of 19.
Use these policy templates as a starting place for the creation of your own policy. Please add additional procedures that you would like to implement or remove procedures that you cannot commit to at this time. We encourage you to re-visit your policy each year and make any necessary updates.
If you have a policy and procedures in place, or currently have specific expectations on the topic of sun safety, make sure they are linked to the activities.
SunSafe Nova Scotia has partnered with High Five Nova Scotia to promote sun safety as an integral component of quality recreation and sport programming during the summer months. Resources include:
Use activities, crafts and songs to solidify sun safety messaging among program participants. Summer staff may wish to commit to doing one activity each week as part of their program plans. Try these activities:
Songs can be a great way to make sun safety fun. Staff may choose to teach one of these songs to their participants and sing it while applying sunscreen.
These resources can help you communicate the importance of sun safety to parents, staff, volunteers, and program participants. Be creative with these promotional tools.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) has released updated Canadian guidance on alcohol and health.
The report indicates that alcohol is linked to several types of cancer, including cancers of the:
Cancer Care and Mental Health and Addictions, in coordination with other health system partners, including IWK Health, the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, and Nova Scotia Health Public Health, developed an FAQ with information specific to alcohol use in Nova Scotia.
The updated guidance reflects current evidence on alcohol and cancer risk. It is important for people to understand this information, so they can make informed decisions. It will also inform the health system as it strives to support the health of Nova Scotians.
Nova Scotia Health is committed to improving knowledge of the risks and harms associated with alcohol use, and will work with our partners to reinforce the following points:
Understanding and taking steps to address social determinants of alcohol-related harms requires our combined efforts. To learn more:
Information provided here refers only to commercial tobacco use. This includes:
The information does not refer to use of tobacco for ceremonial or traditional purposes.
Tobacco smoke is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 1 carcinogen. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 different chemicals, at least 70 of which are carcinogenic.
Use of commercial tobacco increases the risk of many types of cancer including:
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30% of all cancer deaths and up to 85% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking commercial tobacco. The evidence supports a causal link between second-hand smoke exposure and lung cancer.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction reports that the overall economic cost of substance use in Canada in 2020 was $49.1 billion dollars. Over 62% of the total costs are from alcohol and tobacco. This reflects costs due to health care, criminal justice, lost productivity and other direct costs. In Nova Scotia, the cost in 2020 was $1.4 billion dollars or $1,494 per person, regardless of age. The cost for tobacco alone in Nova Scotia in 2020 was $445 million dollars.
Reducing smoking prevalence is a priority in cancer and chronic disease prevention. Comprehensive, multi-component and multi-level strategies have enabled significant reductions in tobacco use in Nova Scotia and across Canada. Nova Scotia continues, however, to have one of the highest rates of smoking in Canada at 13.7% compared to the national rate of 10.3%.
Tobacco cessation supports are accessible throughout Nova Scotia including:
The Non-Insured Health Benefits program provides eligible First Nations and Inuit with coverage for a range of health benefits, including prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. This includes cessation aids like Nicotine Replacement Therapy, bupropion and varenicline.
Health-promoting diets, including adequate fruits and vegetables, reduce the risk of several cancers, including:
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Being physically activity can reduce the risk of several cancers, including:
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Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee in collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society, Statistics Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. (2021). Canadian Cancer Statistics 2021. Canadian Cancer Society. https://cdn.cancer.ca/-/media/files/research/cancer-statistics/2021-statistics/2021-pdf-en-final.pdf
Brenner DR, Poirier A, Woods RR, Ellison LF, Billette JM, Zhang SX, Yao C, Finley C, Fitzgerald N, Saint-Jacques N, Shack L, Turner D, Holmes E, for the Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee. Projected estimates of cancer in Canada in 2022. CMAJ 194(17); E601-7. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.212097