Health consumption in Sami-speaking municipalities with regard to cancer and radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to document that the Sami people, constituting an ethnic minority in northern Norway, experience an equally available specialist health care service as the one offered to Norwegians in general. We aimed to use cancer and radiotherapy treatment as the instrument to clarify the situation. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective registry-based study. METHODS The 8 municipalities included in the administration area of the Sami language law were matched with a control group of 11 municipalities. Population data (numbers, sex and age) were accessed from Statistics Norway. Data on cancer incidence, prevalence and survival during the 10-year time period 1999-2008 were derived from the Cancer Registry of Norway (CRN). Five years overall survival was calculated for patients diagnosed in the time period 1999-2003. Furthermore, data on radiotherapy (RT) and treatment intention were recorded for the time period 1999-2008. RESULTS The Sami-speaking municipalities had a significantly lower incidence of cancer. Breast (RR 0.82 [95% CI 0.76-0.89]) and lung cancer (females RR 0.55 [95% CI 0.52-0.58], males RR 0.64 [95% CI 0.60-0.68]) were significantly less frequent. The Sami group had experienced a significant increase (Sami 54.5% [95% CI 49.2-61.7], controls 24.1% [95% CI 21.7-26.5]) in the prevalence of cancer during the last 10 years. Five years overall survival was similar among both the Sami and control groups. In both groups, 28% of cancer patients underwent radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS The Sami in northern Norway had a lower risk of cancer but experienced the same use of radiotherapy in their cancer treatment as Norwegians in general.