The incidence rate of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was determined in the Calgary Metropolitan Area, a major Canadian city. Data from all patients diagnosed with AML between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2015 were retrieved from a single, centralized cancer cytogenetics laboratory for bone marrow samples, the sole diagnostic facility of its kind in Southern Alberta. The calculated incidence rate was 2.79 cases per 100,000 person-years with a median age of 60, slightly lower than previously published data. The age-standardized incidence rate for Canada was 3.46 cases per 100,000 person-years. The higher value is reflective of Calgary’s younger population compared to the rest of Canada. Higher male incidence and greatest incidence occurring at approximately the age of 85 is similar to data from other developed countries. The lower incidence rates and median age of diagnosis, in comparison with that of other high-income nations, may be due to differences in the proportion of aging citizens in the population. This is the first published incidence rate of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in Canada across all age groups.

Background: Women in rural and remote northern Alberta access breast cancer screening through a mobile mammogram program (Screen Test). The Enhanced Access to Cervical and Colorectal Cancer Screening (EACS) project was a 2-year pilot that aimed to integrate cervical and colorectal cancer screening with the Screen Test program. This study compares cervical and colorectal cancer screening uptake among women screened through the pilot (Screen Test-EACS) versus Screen Test. Methods: Screen Test-EACS was offered between 2013 and 2015 in selected rural and remote sites, with a focus on hard-to-reach women living in First Nations, Métis and Hutterite communities. Participation in cervical and colorectal cancer screening was analyzed for Screen Test and Screen Test-EACS participants 6 weeks before clients received their mammogram and then again 3 months after. Results: A total of 8390 and 1312 women participated in Screen Test and Screen Test-EACS, respectively. Screen Test-EACS significantly increased uptake of cervical (10.1% v. 27.5%) and colorectal (10.9% v. 22.5%) cancer screening, increasing the prevalence of women up to date with screening from 52.5% to 62.9% for cervical cancer screening and from 37.3% to 48.7% for colorectal cancer screening. Interpretation: Screen Test-EACS increased participation in and the overall prevalence of cervical and colorectal cancer screening among hard-to-reach clients in northern Alberta, probably through removal of barriers to access and increased awareness. Further research should focus on balancing the benefits of increased participation with the costs and potential risks of over-screening.

Cancer screening is an important component of a cancer control strategy. Indigenous people in Canada have higher incidence rates for many types of cancer, including those that can be detected early or prevented through organized screening programs. Increased participation and retention in cancer screening is critical to improved population health outcomes amongst Indigenous people. This rapid review evaluates cancer screening interventions published in the last six years. Included studies demonstrated increased participation in breast, colorectal, or cervical cancer screening programs in Indigenous populations or showed promise of increased participation based on the factors that influence people’s screening practices, such as knowledge, attitude, or intent to screen. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews guided the search strategy. The review identified 85 articles with 12 meeting the specified criteria: seven studies reported an increase in cancer screening participation and five studies reported improved knowledge, attitude, or intent to screen. The use of multiple culturally appropriate strategies in co-designed studies were the most effective. This review will be used to inform First Nations (FN) populations and Screening Programs in Alberta of potential strategies to address disparities identified through a recent data analysis comparing cancer screening and outcomes between FN and non-FN people.

Cancer screening guidelines recommend that women over 50 years regularly be screened for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers. Population-based screening programs use performance indicators to monitor uptake for each type of cancer screening, but integrated measures of adherence across multiple screenings are rarely reported. Integrated measures of adherence that combine the three cancers cannot be inferred from measures of screening uptake of each cancer alone; nevertheless, they can help discern the proportion of women who, having received one or two types of screening, may be more amenable to receiving one additional screen, compared to those who haven't had any screening and may experience barriers to access screening such as distance, language, and so on. The focus of our search was to identify indicators of participation in the three cancers, therefore our search strategy included synonyms of integrated screening, cervical, breast and colorectal cancer screening. Additionally, we limited our search to studies published between 2000 and 2015, written in English, and pertaining to females over 50 years of age. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, EBM Reviews, PubMed, PubMed Central, CINAHL, and Nursing Reference Center, as well as grey literature resources. Of the 78 initially retrieved articles, only 7 reported summary measures of screening across the three cancers. Overall, adherence to cervical, breast and colorectal cancer screening ranged from around 8% to 43%. Our review confirms that reports of screening adherence across breast, cervical and colorectal cancers are rare. This is surprising, as integrated cancer screening measures can provide additional insight into the needs of the target population that can help craft strategies to improve adherence to all three screenings.