CANCER IN CIRCUMPOLAR INUIT - BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR CANCER PATTERNS IN CANADIAN INUIT

The cancer pattern among Inuit in the Circumpolar area is remarkably d ifferent from those of other populations in the world, The current pap er summarizes the most important risk factors in Canadian Inuit residi ng in the Northwest Territories, northern Quebec (Nunavik) and Labrado r, particularly during the time period 1969-1988 covered by the study, Factors considered include: the geographic area and physical environm ent; population and human environment, including fertility and life ex pectancy; lifestyle and diet, including tobacco and alcohol use; other lifestyle factors, and health conditions; and health services and cul tural accessibility. Development of the cancer registry and population databases supporting the analysis of cancer rates is described. The i nformation in the present paper is needed to interpret cancer incidenc e patterns and differences among the Circumpolar Inuit of Canada, Alas ka and Greenland.