Improving Access to Cancer Therapies in Canada

/EIN News/ -- OTTAWA, Ontario, March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Increasing access to newly developed or applied blood cancer therapies has the potential to substantially reduce mortality rates and strengthen economic societal contributions, according to new research from The Conference Board of Canada.

“Patient access to innovative blood cancer therapies in Canada is a complex process, marked by barriers at the national and provincial levels,” said Eddy Nason, Director, Healthcare Research at The Conference Board of Canada. “Overcoming these challenges is crucial to ensuring timely and equitable access to care and maximizing the patient, social and economic benefits these treatments offer.”

Pandemic-related disruptions to cancer care services created significant backlogs across both direct services, such as testing and treatment, and indirect services, like research and development. These backlogs placed further strain on an already overburdened healthcare system, increasing the mortality risk for individuals with blood cancers. Projections estimate that these delays could lead to the loss of over 30,000 life-years by 2030 for those with multiple myeloma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The Conference Board of Canada’s research found that improving access to newly developed or applied blood cancer therapies could prevent at least 46,480 life-years lost, restoring an estimated $765.7 million in economic contributions. This translates to lives saved, families kept together, and livelihoods restored for thousands of Canadians. However, to fully realize these benefits, Canada must address several key barriers to patient access.

A significant challenge is the lengthy approval and funding processes for new therapies, which delay patient access to potentially life-saving treatments. Streamlining approval pipelines and revisiting provincial pricing policies are important vehicles to accelerate access to care.

Geographical disparities in cancer care accessibility present another key hurdle, particularly for patients in rural and remote areas. These individuals typically face longer travel times and higher financial costs to access specialized care. In addition, smaller healthcare facilities in these regions may not deliver complex therapies. Adopting digital health technologies in these areas, such as telemedicine and remote care solutions, can help to bridge these gaps.

Canada’s cancer care capacity also remains a pressing concern. Targeted investments in treatment centres are needed to address resource constraints related to site capacity to administer innovative therapies, staff scope of practice to deliver therapies to patients, and healthcare resources to align with modern treatment demands and costs.

Media Contact
The Conference Board of Canada
E-mail: media@conferenceboard.ca
Tel: 613-526-3090 ext. 224

About The Conference Board of Canada
The Conference Board of Canada is the country’s leading independent research organization. Since 1954, The Conference Board of Canada has been providing research that supports evidence-based decision making to solve Canada’s toughest problems. Follow The Conference Board of Canada on X @ConfBoardofCda. For more information on our impact, please visit the link here.