Closing the Cancer Care Gap
Today, more than ever, the state of healthcare in Canada is front and centre. Fair access to timely and high-quality care that enables people to manage their own health and that of their loved ones is an intrinsically Canadian value. Cancer, and its devastatingly widespread effects, is the largest health issue affecting Canadians: According to the Canadian Cancer Society, cancer is responsible for over 28% of all deaths in Canada, with 2 in 5 Canadians expected to develop cancer in their lifetime. On a global level, 10 million people die annually from cancer – and this figure is projected to rise to 13 million by 2030.
These numbers become even more staggering when we consider the cascade effect of every person behind these statistics: the immeasurable toll on the individual, their loved ones, and their community. This illustrates why it is so imperative that cancer prevention, diagnoses and care is available to all Canadians– regardless of who they are or where they live. It is also crucial to continue to support research that brings more promising treatments to more patients.
On World Cancer Day, BioCanRx – Canada’s Immunotherapy Network – once again joins the global movement to highlight the importance of working toward equitable care for all and toward a future without cancer.
- Childhood cancer survival rates are more than 80% in high-income countries but as low as 20% in low-income countries.
- In refugee populations, cancer is more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage, leading to worse outcomes.
- For white women in the US, the five-year survival rate for cervical cancer is 71%. For black women, the rate is just 58%.
With all the progress made in cancer care in recent years, it is deeply unjust that many people still find the odds stacked against them. Financial, educational, and geographic barriers along with discrimination against ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, and ability can have profound negative impacts on cancer risk, cancer treatment, and cancer care.
The BioCanRx network is working together with our researchers and partners across the country to accelerate the development of leading-edge immunotherapies from the lab into early phase clinical trials – to benefit Canadian patients. As we strive to turn cancer into a curable disease, equity and access are a key consideration – from developing new research in the lab to the moment a treatment is made available to patients.
Please join BioCanRx, UICC and organizations and individuals around the world as we unite to close the care gap, and to create a future without cancer!
