Decomposing Cancer Disparities in Canada!

@ Edison Abiya Acha/Jacob Tech Institute

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The Study

Visualizes key findings from "Quantifying and Decomposing Sex-Based and Regional Inequalities in Canada's Projected 2024 Cancer Burden."

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The Focus

Explores cancer inequalities by sex and province to understand where and why disparities exist.

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The Goal

To provide a clear, evidence-based tool for guiding more effective and equitable health policy.

The Provincial Cancer Burden!

Chart at a Glance

This chart displays the projected 2024 cancer burden, measured by the Cancer Burden Score (CBS), which sums age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) for all cancers.

📈 Key Patterns

A higher burden in males across all provinces.
An east-west gradient with higher rates in the east.

👆 How to Interact

Hover over the bars for specific CBS values.

Where Does Inequality Come From?

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Both sex and geography influence cancer inequality, but geography is the primary driver. Using Theil Index decomposition, we find that regional disparities dominate the national inequality.

65.3%

Between-Province Inequality

This is the portion of inequality driven by differences in cancer burden from one province to another (the "east-west gradient"). This finding suggests that place-based factors are the largest driver of cancer inequality in Canada.

34.7%

Between-Sex Inequality

This is the portion of inequality driven by the overall difference in cancer burden between males and females nationally. While significant, it is a smaller component than regional disparity.

Drivers of Sex-Based Disparity

To understand the 34.7% of inequality due to sex, examine Male-to-Female Incidence Rate Ratios (IRRs) for specific cancers. An IRR over 1.0 shows a higher rate in males. Select a province to see regional variations.

Select a Province:

Policy Implications & Recommendations

The quantitative findings ground several actionable policy recommendations aimed at reducing cancer inequality in Canada.

Target High-Burden Regions

Since regional disparity accounts for 65.3% of inequality, federal health transfers should depend on reducing these gaps. Targeted funding should support provinces with the highest burdens (e.g., Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia) to expand prevention and screening for key cancers like lung and colorectal.

Implement Geographically-Tailored, Gender-Transformative Campaigns

Public health campaigns for cancers with high male excess, like lung and colorectal, should be tailored to regional contexts with significant disparities. They must address social norms affecting male health behaviours instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach.

Strengthen National Data Infrastructure

Reliable, timely, and comparable data from all provinces and territories is essential for designing equity-focused health policies. Ongoing federal investment is necessary to standardize data submission standards and schedules across all cancer registries, ensuring a consistent evidence base for surveillance.