2nd Edition Winter 2008 Way To Go BreastStrokes Don McKenzie from the University of British Columbia has found through his research that repetitive upper-body exercise discourages lymphedema and improves the quality of life in women who have had breast cancer. The BreastStrokes team trains at Guelph Lake during warmer months and during the off-season team members continue to improve their fitness in the gym and pool at the University of Guelph. This team clearly demonstrates that breast cancer survivors are all winners and that there is ‘life after breast A local dragon boat team has made it their Dragon boating, the fastest growing team cancer’! mission to increase breast cancer awareness sport in the world, is a great way to build The University of Guelph – sponsored and to provide hope and support for those living camaraderie, find support and raise aware- BreastStrokes team was invited to compete in with the impact of breast cancer. The ness of important issues including breast the world dragon boat invitational held last BreastStrokes Dragon Boat team was formed in cancer. In addition to the many noted benefits 1998 when the Guelph and Wellington Breast of dragon boat racing it also offers many summer in Australia. Cancer Support Group decided to start paddling. unique benefits to breast cancer survivors. Dr. (Cont’d page 5) Welcome To The Second Issue The purpose of the newsletter is to provide linked to decreased risk of cancer; a forum for exchange of cancer prevention Wellington - Dufferin - Guelph world record World Record Walk Gets People and screening efforts in the Waterloo walk gets people in motion; Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program and Wellington Breast Cancer Care Pathway Map Of All Ages in motion!2 beyond. wins Avon Award; a collaborative venture Enhance Your Cancer Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) states that puts additional shade into school yards to Prevention Knowledge 2 approximately 50% of cancers that will be reduce UV exposure and local dragon boat diagnosed by the year 2020 can either be team competes in Australia. Also, a Chinese The Cultural Meaning prevented or detected early, before they physician offers her perspective on some of Cancer 3 become a serious health problem. cultural differences between Canadians and Chinese, and the meaning of Cancer. Community Care for Since the Cancer 2020 Action Plan was Finally, congratulations to the Waterloo Cancer Care 4 released in 2003, many advances in preven- tion and early detection have been made. By Wellington Network’s successful proposal in Healthy Foods Ads 5 taking action on prevention and early detec- CCO’s Primary Prevention of Colorectal tion, the burden of cancer and other chronic Cancer Request for Proposal. Local Team Wins Avon Award 5 diseases will be reduced, increase the quali- Please provide us with your feedback on Shade Workshop Held in ty of citizen’s life and reduce the costs of our newsletter. Let us know of topics you’d Centre Wellington 6 cancer services. like to see in future issues. In this issue, Cancer Care Ontario’s radio For an electronic copy of this and the past Mark Your Calendar 6 ads say eating fruits and vegetables are newsletter, visit: www.grandriverhospital.on.ca Organizing Committee Newsletter of the Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program Members: Laurie Hoffman-Goetz, PhD, MPH Professor Department of Health Studies & Gerontology University of Waterloo World Record Walk Gets People Of All Ages in motion! Ted Mavor, MSW, RSW On October 3rd, 2007, 160,048 citizens of 21,608 residents got in motion, participating Coordinator all ages from across Ontario left their foot- at various launch sites and walk sites prints in the world record books by walking throughout the region including schools, Cancer Prevention & Early Detection one kilometre at the same time. Canada’s recreation centres, and workplaces. Waterloo Wellington Regional Program overall total was 231,635 participating citi- The in motion Strategy was developed in zens, which means that Canada walked—or Saskatoon with great success, and has now Jennifer McCorriston, MSc, BKin perhaps trampled—right over Western been adapted to meet the needs of Australia’s record of 100,915. This is quite an Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) residents. Health Promotion Specialist accomplishment, as the total distance walked WDG in motion is a collaborative project with that day by participating Canadians is equal more then 16 partners from across the region Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health to circling the globe almost six times! including the City of Guelph, the County of The world record walk also kicked off a new Wellington, the Towns of Erin, Minto, Mono, Jane Stacey, MRT(R), CBI, ARDMS health promotion strategy in Wellington, and Orangeville, the Townships of Centre Waterloo Wellington OBSP Regional Dufferin and Guelph called in motion that Wellington, Wellington North, Guelph/ aims to increase the physical activity levels of Eramosa, and Mapleton, along with the Coordinator all area residents. The message was clear YMCA-YWCA of Guelph, the University of across the region that walking is an exciting Guelph, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Don Stewart, BASc, MD way to not only achieve world records, but the Ministry of Health Promotion. Physician also a healthier, happier, and more active For more information on the in motion lifestyle! In Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, strategy, please visit www.wdginmotion.ca Woolwich Community Health Centre St. Jacobs Enhance Your Cancer health informatics, health communication, and environmental health sciences. Prevention Knowledge Carla Parkinson, BSc The MPH program will appeal to practition- The University of Waterloo offers a Master ers working in cancer education, cancer pre- Master of Social Work Intern of Public Health (MPH) degree program, vention, and early detection wishing to upgrade Wilfrid Laurier University through the Department of Health Studies and their public health training on a part-time or Gerontology, in the Faculty of Applied Health full-time basis. The curriculum is course- based with an applied practicum. The pro- Sciences (AHS). Responding to a widely rec- The organizing committee assumes no ognized need for more advanced public health gram’s initial and final courses are delivered on responsibility for opinions, claims, training opportunities in Canada, the program UW campus in two-week blocks. The remain- draws on existing strengths in AHS in health ing seven core graduate courses and three endorsements, representations and statements behaviour and population health promotion, (Cont’d page 3) made by the contributing writers. 2 | The Cancer Prevention Exchange The Cultural Meaning of Cancer: Differences between Canadians and Chinese Disclaimer: This is one opinion from Dr Xu Wang, and best way to inform the actual patient and gain patients prefer more radical treatment. For may not represent the opinions of all Chinese Canadian satisfactory compliance with therapy. example, one study has found that Chinese- individuals. A second difference between Canadian and American women are more likely to be treated Canada’s ethnic diversity can be a chal- Chinese people is their knowledge of accessi- with surgery that removes the entire breast lenge to health care professionals who have bility to and use of cancer prevention and and a portion of the underarm lymph nodes to develop culturally sensitive health care screening programs in their own country. As (also known as modified radical mastecto- strategies, especially in the field of cancer is well known, disease prevention is even my), regardless of age or stage of disease, prevention and treatment. more important than disease treatment. Since rather than breast-conserving treatment. For China is a large developing country, it is very For the past several years, China has been terminally ill patients, Chinese are more likely among the top five countries for immigration difficult to provide every resident with free to try alternative treatments. to Canada. Although the extraordinary growth health care. The present health care system in China’s economy has connected China can only cover part of the expense. Cancer In conclusion, developing awareness about with the rest of the world, there are still a screening tests, such as breast mammogra- cross-cultural practices regarding cancer number of different cancer beliefs between phy or cervical Pap smear, are not free and issues will allow Canadian clinicians to Chinese and Canadian people. are actually quite expensive for people who become more sensitive to the expectations of need to be tested. In addition, most medical First, Chinese are very fearful of a cancer culturally and individually diverse cancer resources are still used for treatment of dis- diagnosis. For most Chinese, getting cancer patients. This awareness may affect patient ease rather than prevention. In contrast, is similar to receiving a death sentence. Since Canada’s health care system is very much and family responses in different clinical situ- there is no religious death culture in China, dedicated to cancer prevention and early ations, potentially affecting patient satisfaction death is a very horrible thing because there is detection. The new HPV vaccine for young and compliance with therapy. no hope for an afterlife. Chinese are also women is a good example of expanded can- afraid of cancer because most cancers are in Submitted by: Xu Wang, M.D. cer prevention and early detection pro- the final stage when they are diagnosed due [email protected] grammes. The Ontario Breast Screening to poor prevention and lack of early detection. Program accepts any new residents of People are then led to believe that cancer is Ontario for free breast screening; women over ENHANCE (from page 2) untreatable. In addition, there is a lack of the age of 50 may self refer even if they don’t patient education in China. Research has elective graduate courses are provided have a family physician.