Cancer costs more than many can afford

Despite living in a country with universal healthcare, many in Canada must pay out-of-pocket for lifesaving and life-enhancing products and services.

Cancer is costly. From the day you are diagnosed, the mental, emotional and physical toll grows. It may cost you your freedom, if only temporarily, as future dreams are put on pause. It may show up as the loss of an organ, maybe your breasts, maybe your hair. It could cost you your fertility health, intimacy or social connections. For far too many, it costs them their life. And if those costs are not great enough, it also costs you financially.

This World Cancer Day on 4 February, we supported UICC's mission to 'close the care gap'. Who you are and where you live can mean the difference between life and death. This is true even in countries like Canada, with so-called universal healthcare.

The harsh reality is that many people in Canada are forced to pay out-of-pocket for lifesaving and life-enhancing products and services. Things such as testing, medications, prostheses, assistive products, post-operative supplies and caregiver costs. Then there are the travel costs many in this vast country face, particularly those in rural and remote communities. This includes transportation to and from regular oncology appointments, chemotherapy and radiation, and accommodations for those traveling especially far.

These are costs that hit hard, especially in today’s economy as cost-of-living soars and millions of people in Canada are struggling to make ends meet. In a recently released Angus Reid survey, a significant number of respondents say that a sudden cancer diagnosis would impact their household finances.

Studies show that the out-of-pocket costs for someone with cancer in Canada can range from an average of CAD 253 per month – adjusted to 2023, this amount is currently estimated at $290 per month – to as much as CAD 550 per month. It can take between six to 10 months to treat and begin to recover from some of the most common types of cancer, according to a 2019 report developed by Cancer Surveillance & Outcomes, Population Oncology.

Recently Canada’s federal government extended the Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefit to 26 weeks for eligible employees so they can be paid while taking much-needed time off. But the benefit only covers up to 55% of your earnings and it doesn’t mean your job is secure.

Lowering the price of a cancer diagnosis won't fix everything, but it would lift some weight off the shoulders of those facing cancer. It will take all of us to make this happen. It takes governments implementing policies that reduce the financial burden of cancer. It takes charities  providing support that would otherwise be costly to the patient. It takes employers looking out for their employees’ health and well-being, and not just their bottom line. It takes people with greater security and means lending a hand, whether through their time volunteering or their wallets donating to organisations already doing the work. It takes every one of us caring for those in our community in need, because one day that could be us.     

Nothing big gets solved by one person. It takes a society.

All those in the cancer community can find ways to challenge policy and amplify the experiences of people with cancer. Here at the Canadian Cancer Society, we are sharing patient experiences with government leaders to show them there’s a whole community who care about cancer and who expect better. To learn more, visit cancer.ca.

Cancer comes with a high enough price tag. Let’s make the financial cost of cancer one less thing to worry about. It’s time to ensure that cancer care is equally accessible and affordable for all – for Canadians and for people around the world To make this happen, we must unite and act.  As an organisation, we’re committed to doing our part in order to support people affected by cancer in Canada as well as the global cancer community.