We all know someone in our circle of family, friends or colleagues who has had to deal with a cancer diagnosis. Cancer is the #1 leading cause of death in Canada accounting for 28% of all deaths in our country. According to Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) statistics, 2 in 5 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 4 will die from this devastating disease.
There is hope – the CCS highlights that cancer survival has increased for most cancer types in Canada with the largest increases observed for hematologic cancers. In the early 90s, the five-year net survival for all cancers combined was only 55%. Recent estimates show it has now reached 64%. But survival varies widely by type of cancer and stage at diagnosis. There are many gaps.
Closing the Care Gap is the theme for the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)’s World Cancer Day campaign. BioCanRx joins the UICC, and cancer organizations across Canada and around the world, to highlight the importance of working toward equitable care for all and toward a future without cancer.
According to the UICC:
- • Half of the world’s population lacks access to the full range of essential health services. When it comes to cancer, many of us are denied basic care, despite the fact that we live in a time of awe-inspiring advancements in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
- • People who seek cancer care hit barriers at every turn. Income, education, geographical location and discrimination based on ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability and lifestyle are just a few of the factors that can negatively affect care. The most disadvantaged groups are also more likely to have increased exposures to other risk factors, such as tobacco, unhealthy diet or environmental hazards.
- • The gap affects everyone. You might feel like the equity gap doesn’t impact you personally, but it likely does affect someone you know. While it’s more pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, well-resourced countries show dramatic disparities too.
We can close the gap. We can all add our voices to the effort.
At BioCanRx, we are working with our researchers, HQP and patient partners to move breakthrough immunotherapy treatments from the lab into clinical trials. Our vision is to turn all cancers into curable diseases. On World Cancer Day, and every day, we are united in closing the gap in cancer care for everyone who is diagnosed with cancer!
Scientific Director
President & CEO
