Advocate urges government to promote underused services as families struggle with financial strain
Cancer patients in Canada face average lifetime costs nearing $33,000, yet many remain unaware of the support services available to them, according to cancer researcher Sevtap Savas.
As reported by CBC News, Sevtap Savas, a professor at Memorial University and a member of the Atlantic Cancer Consortium Patient Advisory Committee, said many families continue to shoulder financial, emotional, and logistical burdens well beyond treatment.
“Cancer is actually a family affair,” said Savas, who advocates for more targeted, publicly promoted resources to address patient and caregiver needs.
She added that while some services exist—such as peer support—many patients and families do not know they are available.
She called on the Newfoundland and Labrador government to play a more active role in promoting and expanding support access, particularly for those affected by high treatment-related costs.
The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) estimates the average Canadian cancer patient incurs nearly $33,000 in out-of-pocket expenses and lost income, as per its December 2024 report cited by Benefits and Pension Monitor.
These costs span prescription drugs, hospital parking, childcare, travel, and homecare—many of which are not covered by the public system, especially when drug coverage varies across provinces.
Savas said that “treatment is just one part of [the] cancer journey,” and added that the related costs increase pressure on families already dealing with emotional strain.
She noted that “because our health-care system does not cover everything,” many patients and their families are forced to make decisions that affect their financial stability.
According to the CCS and Angus Reid Institute’s World Cancer Day survey, nearly 80 percent of Canadians aged 18 to 64 worry about how a cancer diagnosis would impact their retirement savings.
Almost half of working-age respondents said they frequently worry about their long-term financial security, even without a diagnosis.
For Savas and other patient advocates, the solution centres on both affordability and accessibility. “What we need — to get affordable cancer care drugs,” she said, urging provincial and federal governments to work together to improve equity in care.
She emphasized that “they want everyone to access this, regardless of their geographic location, whether these people are living in urban areas or rural areas or Newfoundland and Labrador or in other provinces.”
The broader cost implications are not limited to patients.
According to the Business Group on Health’s ‘2024 Large Employer Health Care Strategy Survey,’ cancer surpassed musculoskeletal conditions as the top driver of health benefit costs in large companies.
The survey found that 91 percent of employers expressed concern over rising pharmacy costs, while 92 percent worried about expensive drugs entering the market.
Savas said that tailoring cancer care to patients’ individual needs—known as precision medicine—could help improve treatment success and reduce avoidable costs.
“It’s the approach in medicine where we want to prevent diseases, conditions or treat them more precisely,” she told CBC News.
However, affordability remains a critical obstacle.
Employers are implementing measures to reduce employee cost burdens, including virtual counselling and tele-mental health, according to the same Business Group on Health survey cited by Benefits and Pensions Monitor.
Employers are also training managers and employees to recognise and respond to mental health concerns, which continue to rise post-pandemic.
Financial hardship for cancer patients can have ripple effects across a household.
As per Benefits and Pensions Monitor, citing the CCS survey, 23 percent of cancer patients said out-of-pocket costs made it difficult to cover daily expenses.
Another 21 percent struggled with household necessities, 17 percent with rent, and 13 percent with mortgage payments.
“For 40 percent,” the survey found, these financial pressures reduced their ability to save for retirement.
In the words of CCS Executive Vice President Stuart Edmonds, “We live in a country with universal healthcare, yet people with cancer are still footing a big bill.”
CCS continues to advocate for measures such as a refundable Canada Caregiver Credit, expanded drug coverage, and job protections for cancer patients.
Savas stressed that governments must support families more broadly, not just the individual receiving treatment. She said governments must do more to communicate available resources and ensure affordability across all provinces.
