While significant progress has been providing cancer care services, B.C.’s health minister points out there is still more to do.
Adrian Dix held a news conference at the BC Cancer Clinic - Kelowna on June 27, providing a one-year update on the NDP’s 10-Year Cancer Care Action Plan.
“I’m here to report all of the news including the good and the areas where we have to do better,” the minister said. “This year alone 34,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer in B.C. They are members of my family, and members of many, many other families in B.C.”
A growing and aging population has spurred increasing demand for cancer care services. Cancer among young people is also increasing, along with a greater number of people with cancer living longer who require ongoing care, Dix added.
“The demand for cancer care is of course at an all-time high and is expected to increase as our population grows.”Dix's appearance in Kelowna comes almost 16 months after his government announced a $440-million plan toward a "cancer-free future."
The plan — which government had announced as an initial investment — came into existence after leading experts had raised concerns about the state of cancer care in B.C in the face of a growing but aging population.
Medical benchmarks for cancer treatment call for 90 per of patients to be seen by their oncologist within four weeks of referral, 90 per cent of patients receiving chemotherapy within two weeks of being ready for treatment and 90 per cent of patients receiving radiation therapy within four weeks of being ready for treatment.
Judged against these benchmarks, government's one-year-progress report points to gaps and improvements.
Consider radiotherapy. Available figures show a nearly 25 per cent improvement in the treatment wait-list, a 7.5 per cent increase in treatment starts, and an increase of 6.4 per cent in patients treated thanks to the hiring of additional radiation oncologists and radiation therapists. But current figures still show that just under 71 per cent of patients receive treatment within four weeks. Within 13 weeks, that figure rises to 80.2 per cent.
Government pledges to improve those figures by expanding service hours for radiotherapy among other measures. While radiotherapy represents only one component of cancer care along with prevention, detection and research, it is also the area where government received criticism for its decision to send patients to the United States under a two-year, cross-border program.
Political opposition parties, specifically B.C. United, have pointed to this decision with its annual cost of $34 million as evidence of the decline in B.C.'s cancer care system. Dix defended the program.
"Let me say, it's absolutely worth it," he said.
According to government figures, the cross-border program led to 599 individuals completing treatment. (Some 2,400 received referrals for treatments, 685 patients received a consult and 640 started treatment).
He added the U.S. contract represents about five per cent of radiation treatments and has allowed B.C. to build up capacity. He specifically pointed to Kelowna's facilities, which have been meeting their targets, adding that the U.S. facilities in Bellingham serve primarily patients from Fraser Health, Northern Health and Island Health. Dix said B.C. will ultimately up make the numbers on this side of the border.
"That's the long-term plan," he said. "As we were building out the system, we did more radiation therapy this year than last year in B.C. But adding that five per cent really made a big difference."
The minister also pointed out that B.C. has some of the lowest cancer rates and the best cancer outcomes in the country.
“But I don’t think people in British Columbia care that we’re doing better than Ontario or Quebec or New Brunswick, or wherever. They want us to do much better.”
The province is building four new cancer centres, one in Kamloops, another in Nanaimo, a second centre in Surrey and a new facility in Burnaby.
Dix added that 92 cancer-care physicians have been hired recently, including 71 oncologists, as well as 32 additional radiation therapists. Eight Indigenous patient navigators have been hired to support Indigenous patients. Screening services have also been expanded to help prevent and detect cancers early.
“This is critical work as it leads to more effective treatment and better outcomes,” Dix explained.
This includes cervix self-screening made available province-wide in January, a first-in-Canada option to screen at home. Nearly 30,000 self-screening kits have been distributed.
"We can eliminate cervical cancer in this province," he said.
Also, more than 27,000 mammograms, and colon and lung screenings were completed this year.
Kelowna resident, Sarah Johnston, who also attended the news conference, found a lump in her breast in 2022. After consultations with her doctor, a mammogram, an ultrasound, and a biopsy, learned she had breast cancer.
“In that moment my world turned upside down,” she said. “How was I going to tell my kids.”
Johnston had a lumpectomy in November of the same year and was sent for testing at received the results in January 2023.
“My lymph nodes were clear, good news, however, the bad news was I had an aggressive, fast-growing cancer.”
She underwent immediate aggressive treatment.
“It took a toll on all of us. I lost my beautiful blonde hair and a lot of my energy. But I didn’t lose my spirit or my determination.”
Johnston’s last treatment was on June 15, 2023.
“I walked out of the cancer clinic with a brochure in my hand that said “Living Beyond Cancer” and thought “OK that’s over, now what?”
Johnston said her cancer journey is not over as she is waiting to see a gynecologist, a breast MRI and future screening.This year she became a member of BC Cancer - Kelowna's Regional Patient Experience Committee.
“For me, this work is more than just improving care for people today, it’s about ensuring when our loved ones face their own cancer diagnosis that they get the best possible treatment.”
Dix concluded his remarks noting that his ministry still has work to do.
"Where we are not doing good enough, we pledge to do better and we have the resources to do better."
He specifically pointed to urgent cases needing surgery with the provincial benchmark being 80 per cent within four weeks. He said the number of cases receiving surgery within four weeks rose. "The number this year is (just under) 64 per cent, an improvement, but not good enough," he said. The number of urgent cases receiving surgery within six weeks rose just under 83 per cent, he added.
"That's an improvement as well — again not good enough."
