New research has revealed persistent inequalities in cancer outcomes among First Nations people in Ontario, Canada.

⁠The study⁠ found higher colon cancer incidence at younger ages and poorer survival after breast, cervical, and colon cancer diagnoses. Its publication coincides with Ontario’s decision to lower the starting age for colorectal cancer screening from 50 to 45, making more than one million additional people eligible.

But earlier screening addresses only one part of the problem. For people living in remote First Nations communities, an abnormal result or cancer diagnosis can lead to long-distance travel, unreliable transport, bureaucratic funding processes, fragmented services, and difficulties accessing culturally safe care.

In this episode, Dr Jill Tinmouth, the study’s corresponding author, explains what prompted the research, what the findings reveal about cancer screening and survival, and why more attention must be paid to the pathway between diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.

The conversation forms part of my reporting on First Nations cancer inequalities for ⁠The Lancet Oncology⁠.