The sum of $33,000 on average: this is what cancer costs each of its Canadian patients, according to a report published Monday by the Canadian Cancer Society, which intends to warn of the financial burden on families that a diagnosis represents of cancer. In 2024, patients will have paid 20% of the total costs linked to the disease out of their own pocket, or $7.5 billion.
This amount should even rise to nearly 8.8 billion per year within 10 years, due to the rise in the cost of living, as well as the growth and aging of the population, suggests the study which notably contributed by Statistics Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, based on the analysis carried out by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.
For patients, the costs to pay include fees for prescription drugs, home care, certain devices or even travel and accommodation. There is also loss of income during the treatment and recovery phases. During the first year of care, these costs are estimated at $5.2 billion, reaching almost half of those borne by health systems.
“We live in a country with a universal healthcare system. However, the bill is still very high for people with cancer,” says David Raynaud, senior manager at the Canadian Cancer Society, who is appealing to the government. “This is a systemic and social problem that cannot be solved by [vase clos]. We know that finding a solution is a complex task, but there are choices available to governments to reduce the costs that weigh so heavily on people. »
“I was entitled to 15 weeks of unemployment, that’s it »
Vanessa Percoco was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2022, at the age of 31, while pursuing a full-time education degree. Shortly before her diagnosis, she landed a replacement contract between two sessions. Everything stopped abruptly.
“My life changed, I had to stop working, I changed my wardrobe because I had a new device on me (following an ileostomy, she had to constantly carry a small bag attached to the stomach). I had to start chemotherapy, do a puncture to preserve eggs. My life was just in hospitals, between two clinical appointments, I was constantly on the move,” she confided in an interview with Duty.
-Finally, 12 chemotherapy treatments and a 12-hour operation later, Vanessa pulled through. But if she managed to beat cancer, her fight says nothing of the financial obstacles she encountered. “I had to stop working to take care of myself, to beat cancer. But also to heal mentally. It’s very difficult to cross. And to get there, I was entitled to 15 weeks of unemployment, that’s it. »
Although she has just started a new job, Vanessa is not entitled to insurance, “only 15 weeks of employment insurance out of more than two years of treatment,” she laments. Her life insurance, which she has been paying since the age of 22, cannot help her. “No, you have to die,” he was told. Ultimately, she managed to keep her head above water thanks to the financial support of those close to her.
“It’s not nice to ask yourself: ‘Should I pay for this medication to counter the side effects of my chemo or pay my rent?’ »
$15,000 in expenses
During her treatments, Vanessa Percoco must pay medication bills, costs related to her digestive ostomy, including the renewal of ostomy bags every four days, physiotherapy sessions, osteopathy consultations and visits to a nutritionist. In total, she estimates the expenses related to her cancer to be $15,000.
“We need a special program for people with cancer, even if only to provide a small amount to help. I was lucky to have people who helped me financially. Not all people have the same luck,” she says. “Why should we stress about the financial aspect, when we don’t even know if we’re going to make it?” It’s very unfair. »
