groups push for funds to ease deadly cancer backlog

cancer patients and their advocates called upon the federal government on wednesday to pick up a larger portion of the country’s healthcare costs, echoing a plea by the country’s premiers earlier this week.canada’s healthcare system, financially strained at the best of times, has been pushed to the limit by the pandemic that patient groups say threatens the quality of care canadians deserve. federal contributions to provincial and territorial healthcare — known as the canada health transfer — have increased at a rate of three per cent annually since 2017-2018, an amount advocates said is insufficient to cover the expected 4.2 per cent growth in spending projected by the canadian institute for health information.“there is no doubt that we must continue to focus on the pandemic. however, we must, at the same time, increase funding for already underfunded health conditions, including cancer,” said martine elias, executive director at myeloma canada. “we must increase our investments in healthcare services and in building sustainable, responsive health systems for the future, for all canadians.”eight canadian premiers asked the federal government on monday to increase the canada health transfer. provinces currently contribute around $188-billion to the cost of delivering healthcare, with the federal government covering the remaining $42-billion, or 22 per cent of costs, according to cbc. the premiers want to see the federal share permanently bumped to 35 per cent, an annual increase of $28-billion, to lighten the load on provinces and patients.“it’s essential to do so for those who need treatments across the country,” said françois legault, the premier of quebec. “if the federal (government) doesn’t increase the transfer, there’s a risk provinces and territories won’t be able to pay for all the services their populations need. at the end of the day, it’s the most vulnerable who will suffer.”around 50 per cent of canadians will face a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lives, patient advocates said, with 25 per cent succumbing to the disease. before the pandemic, the canadian cancer society projected that roughly 225,000 people would be diagnosed with the disease in 2020. the arrival of the pandemic only made matters worse, keeping many patients at home instead of in hospitals undergoing vital care. oncologists project cancer detection rates for the year will suffer as a result, likely falling 16 per cent from 2019.a study published late last year by the bmj concluded that every month cancer treatment is delayed can increase the risk of death by as much as 13 per cent. the analysis found that a delay to any method of treatment — be it surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy — significantly increases patient mortality from seven different types of cancer.“delayed cancer diagnoses, treatments, access to clinical trials and surgeries will negatively impact patient outcomes,” said hira mian, a hematologist at the juravinski cancer centre and an assistant professor within the department of oncology at hamilton’s mcmaster university. “elective surgeries, treatments and therapies have also been severely delayed, and there is a considerable rise in mental health issues amongst all canadians. all of these factors will further tax an already strained healthcare system once the pandemic comes under control. unless there is an infusion of funds, this strain jeopardizes the health and well-being of people living in canada.”patient groups are asking the federal government to earmark a portion of the increase in funding to ensure the healthcare system is able to handle the backlog of patients expected to emerge after the pandemic.“all people living in canada have the right to first-rate primary, diagnostic and health services, care and technology,” said kathy barnard, founder and president of save your skin foundation. “as such, we agree with the premiers that an immediate and sustained funding increase is necessary to meet and support the needs of our growing and aging population.”dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca