PHO Grand Rounds: The Environmental Burden of Cancer in Ontario

PHO Grand Rounds:

The Environmental Burden of Cancer in Ontario

This joint presentation by Public Health Ontario and Cancer Care Ontario will present findings from our 2016 report Environmental Burden of Cancer in Ontario.

This report estimates the annual number of cancer cases from 23 environmental carcinogens that Ontarians are exposed to during daily activities like being in the sun, breathing indoor and outdoor air, eating food, and drinking water.

The analysis makes use of mathematical modelling to estimate a more realistic assessment of annual cancers for each carcinogen.

The estimated environmental burden of cancer is notable, particularly when compared to other risk factors. These results allow for a comparative assessment across carcinogens and offer insights into effective strategies to reduce the environmental burden of cancer.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies or views of Public Health Ontario, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by Public Health Ontario.

Presenters: Dr. Ray Copes, Dr. Sue Greco and Stephanie Young

Dr. Ray Copes is the Chief of Environmental and Occupational Health at Public Health Ontario (PHO). He obtained his MD and MSc at McGill University and trained in Occupational and Environmental medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto. He was the founding Scientific Director of the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, one of six National Collaborating Centres in Public Health funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada before coming to PHO. Ray holds appointments as a Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia and Associate Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.

Dr. Sue Greco joined PHO in October 2015, after a decade of environmental consulting work focused on human health risk assessment. She’s led projects evaluating: the burden of arsenic in groundwater for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the benefits of reducing fine particulate matter in air for the Asian Development Bank, and novel approaches for non-cancer risk assessment for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sue holds a doctorate in environmental health (Harvard School of Public Health) and masters (University of British Columbia) and undergraduate (University of Windsor) degrees in environmental engineering.

Stephanie Young is a Senior Research Associate and epidemiologist in the Population Health and Prevention unit at Cancer Care Ontario. She completed her Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include cancer and risk factor surveillance and chronic disease epidemiology. She is one of the lead authors on Environmental Burden of Cancer in Ontario and has also been involved with previous reports in Cancer Care Ontario’s Cancer Risk Factors in Ontario series.

Please note that you will receive details on how to join the webinar after registering for this event.

Public Health Ontario Rounds are approved for continuing medical education from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. PHO Grand Rounds are also approved by Council of Professional Experience for professional development hours (PDHs) for members of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI). For more information, contact ian.johnson@oahpp.ca.

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Public Health Ontario is committed to complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact 647-260-7100 or events@oahpp.ca.