CCAN/ACC - Who We Are
The number of Canadians diagnosed with cancer is climbing dramatically. Due to trends in population growth and aging, by the year 2015 new cancer cases will likely be 70% greater than today. Because about one-half of those diagnosed will die of the disease, within eight years cancer will become Canada's leading cause of death. Unless we act decisively now, this increasing cancer burden will represent an unprecedented challenge to sustaining Canada's health care system.
We are the people directly affected by cancer.
We are the young mothers who are told we have only a few months to live.
We are the ones who pick up the hair off the pillow of a loved one.
We are the parents who fight for the lives of our children, day by day, minute by minute.
We are the ones who have to drive our spouses out of the country for radiation therapy.
We are the ones who have to tell our kids that their mom or dad has a terminal disease.
We are the ones who must live one day at a time and yet be strong for our family and friends.
We are the ones whose bodies and lives are torn apart by the number one cause of premature death in Canada.
We are the Canadian Cancer Advocacy Network, a national coalition dedicated to ensuring that patients' interests are on top of the national cancer agenda - a voice for patients and their families.
CCAN/ACC - Membership
"You have cancer." The words alone are frightful enough. But now imagine that you are told there are long waiting lists for patients with the disease, and only a few hospitals in the country you can go to get proper treatment. That waiting for your treatment may cause you to die unnecessarily. Perhaps you are forced to go to the United States for treatment. But how are you going to pay for the care and travelling expenses? And how are you going to afford the cot of paying for medicines that you need to save your life? Who do you turn to for help? These problems are a continuing reality for many Canadians coping with cancer.
CCAN is a coalition of cancer patients, survivors and stakeholders, formed to reduce the burden of cancer by advocating change on behalf of cancer patients. We represent thousands of ordinary Canadians who have been through and survived-- who are still going through-the cancer experience. It's our mission to bring the human face, the face of people personally touched by cancer, into the process of developing health care policies and services.
CCAN represents the first time that all of the major Canadian cancer site organizations and the Canadian Cancer Society have joined forces to make certain that patients' interests are at the top of the national cancer agenda. CCAN members represent the majority of Canadians fighting cancer.
Member Associations:
CCAN/ACC - The Challenge
Cancer is an incredible challenge for Canada. While progress has been made, our growing and aging population will mushroom the cancer burden in the years ahead, putting even greater pressure on Canada's health system.
The simple facts are:
- Cancer continues to be the leading cause of premature death in Canada - an estimated 136,900 new cases of cancer and 66,300 deaths in 2002.
- Cancer is responsible for almost one third of all potential years of life lost.
- The incidence of cancer will increase by as much as 70% over the next 15 years.
Virtually every day we hear stories from patients about medically indefensible waiting times, gaps in the supply of specialized human resources, gaps in prevention and support (especially where Aboriginal people are concerned), lack of cooperation across provinces, and unequal access to cancer treatment, depending upon geographical location.
Fortunately, there is a solution. It's called the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control. Over 700 volunteer experts, cancer survivors, health professionals and caregivers have participated in the creation of the Strategy, which contains real solutions to pressing cancer issues.
Many Canadians might be surprised to learn that until now, no national strategy for the control of cancer has even existed. Fortunately, implementation of this Strategy will lead to a reduction in the expected number of Canadians diagnosed with cancer. It will reduce the severity of the illness. It will enhance the quality of life of those with cancer, reduce the likelihood of dying from the disease and ultimately reduce pressure on the acute care system. Should Canadians be offered anything less, especially when the solution is right on the table before us?
We believe strongly that there are five critical areas where determined and quick action can significantly reduce the burden of cancer.
Standards and Guidelines: The lack of national standards is a huge barrier to providing equitable high quality care. No standards mean little information sharing, little comparison of effectiveness of practices, and little evaluation of outcomes. How can we possibly move ahead without having measures to know if current practices are working? We ask that governments cooperate to establish common principles that would allow the development of pan-Canadian evidence-based standards and guidelines in key aspects of cancer control.
Rebalanced Focus: The entire spectrum of patient needs - physical, social, emotional, nutritional, informational, psychological, spiritual and practical - should be addressed throughout the continuum of care. While past orientation of cancer care was hospital-centric, better results will come from providing cancer care in the community and, in some cases, in the home. Cancer centres must be linked with community cancer services and family doctors to ensure coordintion and continuity of supportive care.
Human Resource Planning: We all know that serious shortages of health personnel in Canada are crippling the whole health system. The human resource deficit threatens to defeat cancer control, too, and at all levels. Without action to resolve the pressing issues in human resources, cancer patients will continue to bear the heartbreaking and often life-threatening wait between the discovery of a lump to diagnosis, and between diagnosis and treatment.
Primary Prevention Reform: While not all cancers are preventable, public policy initiatives, health promotion activities and disease prevention programs can save lives, reduce cancer cases and minimize the extent of the disease. We recommend adoption of a national comprehensive preventative strategy.
Research Priorities: We need defined research priorities and the creation of a plan for strategic investment in priority areas, as well as staged growth towards a $1 billion a year research funding base and a stabilized budget for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
CCAN/ACC - Our Vision
CCAN's vision is:
- To have the best cancer care system: comprehensive, accessible, sustainable, affordable for all, universal and equitable; and
- To improve the quality of life in all aspects of cancer care, from prevention and screening, to diagnosis and treatment, and by helping the patients and their families cope with the dying process, when that is the only outcome.
CCAN's mission is to advocate for the implementation of the best possible national cancer control strategy by:
- Being a vehicle for identifying common issues to all volunteer-driven national cancer groups;
- Bringing the perspective of people whose lives are affected by cancer directly into the policy-making process;
- Creating linkages and partnerships to achieve results, both provincially and nationally.
CCAN's overall focus is to advocate for the implementation of the five key priority areas of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control.
CCAN's current priorities are:
Promoting widespread colorectal cancer screening, which has the potential to save 7740 lives over the next ten years;
- Advocating for an expanded home care system;
- Monitoring efforts to improve delivery of cancer-related services in the First Nations communities;
- Advocating for coverage of oral chemotherapy drugs in provincial health plans;
- Investigating municipal cancer prevention initiatives;
- Establishing provincial level cancer advocacy networks in the four Western provinces.
CCAN's recent activities are:
- Official launch in January 2002 with Bob Rae, Honourary CCAN Chair
- Submission to the Romanow Commission on implementing the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control (CSCC)
- Appointment of CCAN representatives to sit on the CSCC Council and on its implementation groups in order to turn recommendations into action.
Canadian Cancer Advocacy Network/Action cancer Canada
P.O. Box/Case postale 589
Station B, Ottawa ON, K1P 5P7
Telephone: 613.565.2522 ext./poste 303,
Facsimile/Telecopieur 613.565.2278
www.ccanacc.ca |
