Thursday, October 1,1998 The Halifax Herald Limited
Diane Doiron/Herald Photo Cape Bretoners shouldn't panic about death rates on the island, Nova Scotia cancer commissioner Dr. Andrew Padmos said at Province House Wednesday.
Dr. Andrew Padmos, the province's new cancer commissioner, speaks Wednesday at a Province House news conference.
Cancer czar wants more studies
Cape Breton death rates 'reason to be concerned'
By LISA CLIFFORD / Health Reporter
The province's first cancer commissioner said Cape Bretoners shouldn't be alarmed by a report that says they don't live as long as other Canadians.
Dr. Andrew Padmos said more studies and better data are needed to find out what's causing Cape Bretoners to die too soon.
"I don't think there's reason to panic," he saidWednesday. "I think there's reason to be concerned. I think there's lots of reasons to follow up."
A federal government study of health records from 1951 to 1994 revealed Sydney-area residents are dying about 10 years before their time. The cancer rate there is 16 per cent higher per capita than elsewhere in Canada.
The researchers who conducted the study offered few theories about why the numbers are so high, but Dr. Padmos did.
He said breast, lung and cervical cancer screening programs aren't being used as frequently as they should in Cape Breton.
Poor lifestyle choices are also a problem in some cases, he said.
"We as individuals are going to have to help ourselves," said Dr. Padmos. "We're going to have to make use of prevention. We're going to have to change our lifestyle, get more exercise."
A former director of the Kingston Regional Cancer Centre in Ontario, he was speaking at a news conference organized by the provincial Health Department to introduce him in the new post.
Dr. Padmos, 52, will head a new agency called Cancer Care Nova Scotia, responsible for the overall planning, co-ordination and evaluation of cancer services and facilities in the province.
He's also joined the faculty of the Dalhousie Medical School and is the head of cancer programs at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre.
At the news conference, Health Minister Jim Smith announced the appointment of Peggy Davison as chairwoman of the agency's advisory board.
"These appointments are part of this government's ongoing efforts to improve early detection, prevention and treatment of cancer," Mr. Smith said.
Dr. Padmos, a specialist in internal medicine and hemotology, will also operate a small practice at the QEII.
His services will be welcome, since the hospital's cancer centre just lost two medical oncologists - specialists who give chemotherapy.
But that shortage could soon be alleviated, said Dr. Padmos. Four medical oncologists are considering coming to Nova Scotia.
The new doctors will be better compensated than their predecessors, since the province has agreed to pay them on par with colleagues in the rest of Canada, said Dr. Padmos.
NDP health critic Maureen McDonald was impressed with the new cancer commissioner, describing him as genuine, capable and enthusiastic.
But Ms. McDonald had doubts about his suggestion of more studies and reports.
"There are things that can be done right now," she said, adding the government should remove its $5 fee for pap smears - a test that can detect cervical cancer.
Copyright © 1998 The Halifax Herald Limited
Thursday, October 1, 1998 The Halifax Herald Limited
Russell MacLellan: 'Cannot say how much it is going to cost.'
MacLellan seeks tar ponds cash in Ottawa
By BRIAN UNDERHILL / Ottawa Bureau
Ottawa - Premier Russell MacLellan was in Ottawa over the past two days drumming up federal support for the approximately $50 million that will have to be spent on the Sydney tar ponds project over the next three to five years.
Sources said both the federal and provincial governments are concerned that concrete funding for the work of the Joint Action Group on Environmental Cleanup is only in place until next spring.
However, millions will have to be spent on studies identifying exactly what toxic chemicals are in the tar ponds and coke ovens site, what kind of chemical reactions have occurred among those compounds, what dangers remediation efforts pose and how to train the people who will carry out the tar ponds cleanup.
Sources told The Chronicle-Herald that figure could be $50 million and will have to be cost-shared by the two levels of government to proceed.
As well, there will have to be a decision reached on what to do about residents who live adjacent to the site.
Neither Mr. MacLellan nor federal Environment Minister Christine Stewart would discuss the $50-million price tag Wednesday, but both acknowledged funding for JAG's ongoing work is an issue.
"All I can say at the moment is to let you know that we're all very concerned about the issue and want to move the agenda forward as quickly as possible," Ms. Stewart said in an interview.
Mr. MacLellan said he's been telling federal ministers this project must continue to be a priority.
"We cannot say how much it is going to cost because we have to receive the request (for funding) from JAG," he said Wednesday.
"We do know that the studies ... are not going to be nearly as expensive as the remediation effort would be, but we have to go through those stages before remediation can even be considered."
The premier said he received a sympathetic hearing from all the ministers involved with the file and got the support of Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
That may be useful when the funding request goes before the federal cabinet. Both levels of government also feel a recent memorandum of understanding to clean up the tar ponds commits them financially.
Ms. Stewart said she does not expect the tar ponds project to be a hard sell in cabinet.
"I don't think so. We wouldn't have signed the (memorandum of understanding) if that were the case," she said.
"We're totally supportive of the JAG process and think it is extremely important."
Mr. MacLellan also met with Health Minister Allan Rock and Treasury Board President Marcel Masse on the tar ponds cleanup issue.
Copyright © 1998 The Halifax Herald Limited
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