Cancer is a 'family affair,' says researcher calling for more support
A cancer researcher and advocate wants the Newfoundland and Labrador government to offer more support for cancer patients and their families.
Sevtap Savas, a professor at Memorial University, recently co-authored an article on ways Atlantic Canada's governments can improve cancer care, through her work with Atlantic Cancer Consortium Patient Advisory Committee. From that study, she said health-care systems can do more to treat cancer patients as individuals by looking at their unique circumstances, which is called precision medicine.
"It's the approach in medicine where we want to prevent diseases, conditions or treat them more precisely so that, you know, the outcomes will be better, treatment success will be better," she told CBC News.
Out of their research, Savas said they heard from family members of cancer patients about the associated costs of a cancer diagnosis.
"Treatment is just one part of [the] cancer journey, and it's just focusing on one person who is patient. But there are people around patients, right," she said. "Cancer is actually a family affair."
She wants people to be able to tap into more resources that can help with financial, emotional, social and other supports. While there are supports available, like peer support services, Savas said many people don't know about them, which is why she wants the provincial government to promote the services.
In December, the Canadian Cancer Society released a report estimating cancer costs an average patient approximately $33,000 across their lifetime — including out-of-pocket expenses and lost income during treatment and recovery.
Savas says that cost is another burden on an already struggling family, "because our health-care system does not cover everything."
She pointed to the cost of hospital parking or child care.
People interviewed as part of their research highlighted the costs not covered by the public health-care system, she added, like how drug coverage can vary by province.
"What we need — to get affordable cancer care drugs," Savas said, adding she thinks it should be an initiative taken on by both the provincial and the federal governments.
Savas said participants in the research want to see affordability measures brought in by government.
"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," she said.
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