Cancer mortality in Yukon 1999–2013: elevated mortality rates and a unique cancer profile

Background: Although cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada, cancer in the North has been incompletely described. Objective: To determine cancer mortality rates in the Yukon Territory, compare them with Canadian rates, and identify major causes of cancer mortality. Design: The Yukon Vital Statistics Registry provided all cancer deaths for Yukon residents between 1999-2013. Age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) were calculated using direct standardisation and compared with Canadian rates. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated using indirect standardisation relative to age-specific rates from Canada, British Columbia (BC), and three sub-provincial BC administrative health regions : Interior Health (IH), Northern Health (NH) and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). Trends in smoothed ASMRs were examined with graphical methods. Results: Yukon’s all-cancer ASMRs were elevated compared with national and provincial rates for the entire period. Disparities were greatest compared with the urban VCH: prostate (SMR(VCH)=246.3, 95% CI 140.9–351.6), female lung (SMR(VCH)=221.2, 95% CI 154.3–288.1), female breast (SMR(VCH)=169.0 95% CI, 101.4–236.7), and total colorectal (SMR(VCH)=149.3, 95% CI 101.8–196.8) cancers were significantly elevated. Total stomach cancer mortality was significantly elevated compared with all comparators. Conclusions: Yukon cancer mortality rates were elevated compared with national, provincial, urban, and southern-rural jurisdictions. More research is required to elucidate these differences.