Access to Cancer Treatments
We claim to have the best healthcare system in the world, but the facts belie this myth. Sadly, this is evident in the treatment of those who are diagnosed with cancer. According to the Cancer Advocacy Coalition (CAC), our current system needs to be modernized. Far too many Canadians are experiencing care and treatment options that are less effective than what is available. Significant discrepancies exist across our country in access to the diagnostic and treatment options patients need. In fact, the quality of care you receive often depends on where you live. Luckily, for us in B.C. we have the best access to quality cancer care in Canada. Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes fare much worse.
One of the biggest challenges patients have is affordable access to the appropriate drugs. What we are finding is that the new generation of oral, take-home cancer drugs are becoming increasingly expensive, the costs of which are borne by the public system, private plans, and individuals. Drug costs to the individual are doubling every two and a half, to three years. This means, if you do not have the money you cannot get these drugs. This should shatter the myth that we have a single tiered medical system. It is, and always has been, multi-tiered.
As medical costs escalate at 8% a year (GDP grows at about 3% a year) the gap between government monies to pay for health care, and demand widens. This results in individuals paying increasing amounts for essential care out of their own pockets. If you don’t have the money you don’t get the care. A terrible situation! Access to new, but expensive cancer drugs continues to be one of the most urgent problems cancer patients face, especially for those people with less common cancers. BC again comes out on top with the best access in Canada to new cancer drugs for its citizens.
Lack of access also extends to diagnostics, and the PET (positron emission tomography) scanner is an example of this. PET is very sensitive at identifying malignancies. Unfortunately, it is only approved for certain types of cancers and others are left off the list. Research is also a challenge, for only 6% of all research dollars goes to cancer prevention. Thus, more resources must be allocated towards prevention as well as for funding cares.
More lives can be saved by reducing the approval time for medications. Currently, it takes a minimum of 10 to 15 years, and sometimes 20 years, for a medication to go from the laboratory bench to clinical use. This lengthy delay costs thousands of live and millions of dollars. Thus, we must look at ways to streamline the approval process for cancer medications while balancing public safety.
Cancer patients, as all patients, deserve timely access to affordable care with the best medications and diagnostics we can afford. A collaborative approach between the federal government, the provinces, the private sector and professional groups is needed to tackle this all too common collection of diseases that cause so much pain and suffering.
National Organ Donor Week
April 20-27, 2008
Please register your wishes at www.transplant.bc.ca or by visiting the BC Transplant, Travelling Organ Donor Drive on Monday April 21 in Victoria. more info: 1-800-663-6189
Access to Cancer Treatments
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