The cost of cancer can be hidden in many ways.
One great advocate I know in Newfoundland and Labrador (Tracy Slaney) once said that they need a “reliable car” to help travel to and from St. John’s for treatment of his husband, Jim.
I keep thinking about this. Especially on snow days.
Not just a car. A reliable car.
A car that will take you to your destination safely.
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I have been reading the Canadian Cancer Statistic’s special report on the economic impact of cancer in Canada with a great interest.
While I am not directly doing research in economic impact of cancer, nevertheless, the challenges faced by patients and families – including the financial cost and barriers while receiving care and surviving beyond cancer – are very important for my advocacy and my understanding of the cancer experience.
Here are some of the key points I gathered from this report:
- The authors say that they focused on estimates which are based on most commonly diagnosed cancers only. In addition, these estimates may vary among people affected, as well as by province and territory. In addition, not all costs are included, such as those because of psychosocial effects of cancer. Hence, these should be kept in mind while interpreting this information (that is, the average cost per person could be actually higher than these estimates)
- Cancer is the leading cause of mortality in Canada. As such, cancer has a substantial cost to Canadian society – both through its cost associated with the healthcare system delivery and the cost shouldered by patients and caregivers
- The estimated cost of cancer in Canada for 2024 is around $37.5 billion. This cost is expected to increase in the coming decade, mostly because more people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer and more people are expected to survive cancer
- Almost 80% of this cost is shouldered by the healthcare system, while the remaining is shouldered by patients and caregivers. Cost of cancer differs among cancer types, with most common four cancer types claiming almost 50% of all costs (lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers)
- Economic cost of cancer per person has been increasing due to factors, such as rising cost of treatment and support services. The overall economic cost of cancer in Canada may have been increasing due to aging population (which increases the risk of cancer) and growing population (the higher the number of people living in Canada, the higher the number of people affected by cancer in Canada)
- The cost of cancer for each patient is estimated to be around $33,000 and is likely to mostly happen in the first year following the cancer diagnosis. However, cost of cancer can continue after that time period
- Healthcare system costs associated with cancer include those like physician and hospital services/cancer care, some prescription cancer drugs, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and so on. On the average, per patient amount shouldered by the healthcare system is 4 times that of what a patient shoulder ($33,000 x 4 = $132,000)
- Cost of cancer shouldered by cancer patients and caregivers include various costs.
For example;
- those cost that are directly related to receiving care (prescriptions, devices such as walking sticks and colostomy supplies, home care services, travel and accommodation related expenses, time needed for traveling to and from, or waiting for treatment, insurance payments & copayments)
- lost income or opportunities due to sickness/sick leave or caregiving obligations are within the costs associated with cancer, however indirect they may be
- psychosocial impact, such as quality of life related costs
7. There are some communities facing systematic barriers to access care and clinical trials, for example, those living in rural areas, low income families, and marginalized communities – these communities may be at increased risk of having cost of cancer. Of note, Atlantic Canada has a high proportion of its population living in rural areas (around 45%).
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So what do we do with this information?
It seems that cancer will continue to rule our lives.
Is there a chance that we can help prevent this?
The authors state that this information will help planning by both the healthcare leaders and families affected.
I agree.
I think we should also focus on additional solutions:
- collecting more systematic cancer-related data to come up with more precise estimates; for example, I suspect the cost associated with cancer to be a bit higher in Atlantic Canada than the rest of Canada (because of higher portion of the population living in rural areas) and concentrated cancer clinics/hospitals in urban regions)
- preventing and early detecting cancer
- removing barriers to access to care and reliable health-related knowledge
- increased support to low income families and at-risk communities
- removing systematic barriers experienced by marginalized communities
- setting regional equity for cancer drug access and clinical trials within Canada
- better synchronized inter-provincial and territorial drug coverage
- better provincial and territorial insurance plans
- better public awareness about cancer, its impacts, and resources/support available to help prevent, early detect, and treat cancers
For better days ahead, we need to combine our hands, hearts, minds, and forces.
Please advocate for yourself and others to prevent, early detect, and treat cancer.
If one of us is helped, all of us are helped.
Let’s help each other.
Sevtap Savas, PhD. February 14, 2025, St. John’s
