Three asks cover screening access, prevention funding, and the $33,000 cancer cost patients carry
Cancer costs the average patient nearly $33,000 over a lifetime in Canada, and Quebec reimburses travel for care only where the distance is 200 km or less, roughly the span between Montreal and Gatineau.
Both figures sit inside a set of election demands the Canadian Cancer Society has put to Quebec's political parties ahead of the October 5 general election.
Cancer is the leading cause of mortality in Quebec and accounts for 3 in 10 deaths, David Raynaud, senior manager, advocacy, at the Canadian Cancer Society, said in the organization's statement.
Quebec has the highest cancer incidence rate in Canada, and 67,000 people are projected to be diagnosed in 2026, according to Raynaud.
He said political decisions made now will affect future cancer patients.
The Canadian Cancer Society attributes the continued rise in cancer cases over the next several years to Quebec's growing and aging population.
That criterion excludes many essential trips for care and creates unfairness in treatment access, according to the organization, which wants the travel reimbursement program improved to better reflect the reality of people living in rural and remote areas.
Caregivers who support people with cancer also face financial challenges.
It is calling on the next government to adapt the tax credit for people with disabilities and caregivers to the reality of cancer.
To obtain the credit, a person must currently be considered invalid for at least 12 consecutive months, while the average duration of cancer treatments is about 8 months.
Cancer patients should have "timely access to diagnosis and treatment," said Denis Soulières, hematologist-oncologist and scientific and medical spokesperson for the Canadian Cancer Society.
He said the next government must reduce oncology wait times and improve screening access.
The organization wants Quebec to put in place an organized colorectal cancer screening program and to broaden access to the Quebec Breast Cancer Screening Program for women aged 40 to 49.
Equitable access to screening allows more cancer cases to be detected at an earlier stage, when treatment is easier, which the Canadian Cancer Society says can improve quality of life and survival chances.
Quebec remains the only Canadian province without an organized colorectal screening program, Raynaud said, adding that the next government must commit to making it a priority.
Equitable access to a greater number of clinical trials in Quebec would allow more people to potentially benefit from innovative treatments while advancing cancer research and care, according to the organization.
About 4 in 10 cancer cases can be prevented through healthy living and policies that protect public health, the Canadian Cancer Society said.
It cited reducing smoking and alcohol consumption and increasing physical activity and healthy eating as examples of actions that can help prevent cancer or other chronic diseases.
The organization is calling for higher taxes on products that are harmful to health, which it describes as the most effective way to reduce their consumption, with part of the resulting revenue reinvested equitably in cancer prevention and health promotion.
