MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Annette Cyr, Chair and Founder of the Melanoma Network of Canada
2018 arrived with a frigid, wintery blast across the country! As tough Canadians, we will ‘weather’ another winter as we look towards a new year with hope and an increased determination that our patient community will see improved access to drug therapies and increased availability of clinical trials across the country. If you are fortunate enough to have received the type of treatment and cancer therapies you needed in a timely manner and have also been fortunate enough to respond to treatment, we are so thrilled for you – and we have met many of you and celebrated your success – you give hope for so many others waiting in the wings.
However, the last couple of years have proven difficult for many patients and their families as federal agencies, provincial governments and private insurers have increasingly created barriers for timely access to life-sustaining and potentially life-saving treatments for melanoma patients and many other cancer types as well. The issue comes down to cost – and while we are pragmatic and understand there are budgets to manage, we believe that there has been an excessive focus on cost by governments, to the detriment of patients, without fully understanding the issues or needs of the population. Around the world there’s no other country that would say we’re going to cover the cost of you visiting a doctor, and being diagnosed with a need, and being prescribed a treatment, but we’re not going to cover the cost of the treatment itself. This current climate also creates a disincentive for pharmaceutical companies to include Canada in clinical trials, which melanoma patients have come to rely on for treatment options.
So, we are turning up the heat in 2018. Our talented doctors and along with patients in treatment are beyond frustrated. With looming provincial elections in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, there is an opportunity to ensure your provincial candidates have an understanding of the critical issues physicians and patients are having just to be able to get Health Canada approved therapies covered and available without multiple restrictions and barriers. The provincial governments and the pharmaceutical companies have to find a path to expedite access. You can help by retweeting our planned messaging; creating dialogue on Facebook and contacting your local provincial candidates to inform them of the issues we are facing. Please watch your email and our website for updates and new ways you may be able to impact changes. Let’s put patients first and make patient lives matter in 2018!
For those seeking clinical trials in Canada, you visit the Canadian-based registry for cancer trials at Canadian Cancer Trials. http://www.canadiancancertrials.ca/ or in the US at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ www.Clinical Trials.gov
