Remedy serious backlog

This election simply cannot be politics as usual. We are still in the midst of a pandemic that will take years, if not decades, to fully recover from. As voters, we need to hear, not about what other parties can’t or didn’t do, and instead what party leaders will do to help the country recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the Canadian Cancer Society, we are challenging political parties to put their differences aside and come together to support people affected by cancer. This election, we are asking them one very important question: What will they do to help address the backlogs in cancer care and the influx of new and late-stage diagnoses resulting from pandemic delays?

Since the start of the pandemic, it is estimated that global cancer diagnoses dropped by a stunning 40 per cent. We know that when cancer is found and treated early, the chances of survival are higher. A Canadian and United Kingdom-led study published in the British Medical Journal showed that a four-week delay in cancer treatment increased the risk of death by about 10 per cent in some cancers.

In Nova Scotia, cancer screening, surgeries and essential interventions were postponed, resulting in the possibility that Nova Scotians will see cancer cases diagnosed or treated too late.

Between April and September 2020, there was a 20 per cent reduction in cancer surgeries compared to the same timeframe in 2019, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. A July 2020 Canadian Cancer Society-led survey found that almost half (47 per cent) of cancer patients reported having their cancer care appointments cancelled or postponed in the early days of the pandemic.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many communities were underserved across the spectrum of cancer care. For instance, lower rates of screening uptake are shown among underserved communities, including First Nations, Inuit, Métis, immigrants, visible minorities, people living with low income and rural/remote populations. Inequities have been exacerbated during the pandemic.

The backlog in cancer care is not a reflection on our health-care workers, who have been working tirelessly for well over a year managing wave after wave of COVID-19 cases, getting little to no break in between. It is not a new problem, but rather one that has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. And it’s one that must be at the top of each political party’s health platform if they are planning a path forward out of this pandemic.

But simply clearing the backlog is not enough. Stopping there will only mean that the current caseload has been managed, and we will go back to the same imperfect system where wait times are too long, referrals are archaic, access to timely data is lacking, and our system and infrastructure isn’t being used to the best of its ability.

Nor will it address the anticipated wave of cancer cases diagnosed or treated too late. What we need is to build an improved model with long-term reform that will create a health-care system accessible to all.

Whoever forms government after election day, they will need a solid plan to recover from the pandemic. They will need to show leadership and collaboration, bringing together Nova Scotia and the provinces and territories to fix disruptions to health care and address long-standing health inequities.

More than one million Canadians are living with and beyond cancer, and those with cancer are among the most vulnerable in our communities right now.

In an election, you hold power within your vote. You get to decide what issues matter most to you, and which party you believe will do the best job at addressing them. And if you are concerned about cancer care, make sure your candidates in this election are, too.