Picture an Alberta where most cancer is preventable.
No, it’s not wishful thinking – it’s really possible. That’s because we already know what causes about 45% of cancers.
These cancers are linked to how we live. Things such as what we eat and how much alcohol we drink; whether we’re active and up to date with our screening tests and cancer-preventing vaccines; how much we weigh, whether we use tobacco and how much time we spend unprotected in the sun. Address all these and we’re almost halfway there.
That’s where the CPSI team comes in. We are a team of innovative leaders, scientists, and public health experts who specialize in cancer prevention. We take what we know and we find out what works right here in Alberta. CPSI partners with communities, employers and health service providers who are interested in pioneering new approaches. Then we help bring solutions to the rest of the province, with a focus on groups who tend to have higher rates of cancer.
None of the things that cause cancer are easy to change on our own. So we’re preventing cancer by helping to shape our communities, workplaces and health system to make it easier for all of us to take proven steps to prevent cancer every day. This can be by making healthy food options available and affordable for everyone; by building communities that provide shade and support being active; by encouraging our workplaces to support healthy choices; and by having our health care providers routinely talk to us about cancer screening tests we’re due for.
Besides shaping the spaces around us, CPSI supports you directly. We offer easy to read and credible health information. We provide you with specific data and roadmaps customized for your needs and concerns – whether it’s preventing colorectal cancer or understanding more about how alcohol causes cancer. And we have interactive tools to help you with everything from making a decision about HPV vaccines for your children to quitting smoking.
So dig in. Explore.