| Summary: | Cancer continues to be the number one cause of death for the Alaska Native people. However, many people live a long time after a cancer diagnosis and cancer is now considered a chronic disease like heart disease. In general, chronic diseases should be diagnosed as soon as possible so treatment decisions can be made. Chronic diseases must also be continuously monitored throughout a person’s life. The disability and risk of death from chronic diseases highlight the importance of prevention and screening for early diagnosis. The first comprehensive cancer control plan for the Alaska Tribal Health System (ATHS) 2005-2010 was implemented in 2006. A review of that plan indicates that we have made progress in many of the cancer care components: prevention, screening/early detection, diagnosis/treatment, survivorship, palliative care, and research/surveillance (Appendix 3). However, there is still much work to be done to reduce the cancer burden in our efforts to make the Alaska Native people the healthiest people in the world. Support provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC grant: #5U58DP003857). Publication date from document properties. 5U58DP003857
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