Nunavimmi puvakkut kaggutimik aanniaqarniq: Qanuilirqitaa?Lung cancer in Nunavik: How are we doing? A retrospective matched cohort study

Abstract

Inuit in Canada have shown remarkable resilience in the face of a colonization that included systematic efforts to erase their culture and language and that sustains multiple health dispar ities compared with non-Indigenous Canadians. Health care services in Inuit Nunangat (the northern portion of Canada that is the traditional Inuit homeland) are characterized by limited accessibility, availability, and acceptability. [1][2][3] The Calls to Action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada provide the framework for the country to address past and ongoing injustices toward Indigenous Peoples. Health disparities are direct consequences of these injustices, and the Calls to Action include directives for governments and the health sector to identify, track, and eliminate gaps in Indigen ous health outcomes. 4,5 Inuit in Canada are reported to have the highest incidence of lung cancer in the world. [6][7][8] Lung cancer diagnosis and care pathways are complex and resource intensive, necessitating

Lung cancer in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada – a scoping review

“…The high lung cancer mortality rate in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis can largely be attributed to its high incidence and late-stage diagnoses [ 7–9 ]. The diagnosis of lung cancer begins with a computed tomography (CT) scan in combination with other confirmatory tests, followed by surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy or variations of these treatments throughout different phases of the patient’s treatment plan [ 10 ].…”