Province Strengthening Cancer Care And Expanding Access

The BC Government says a year into its 10-Year Cancer Care Action Plan more people in B.C. are benefiting from expanded screening, more access to diagnostic tests and better treatment.

“The progress we have made in enhancing cancer care in just one year is a testament to our commitment to people in B.C. to deliver the best cancer care when and where we need it, and the hard work of our health-care professionals,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.

“When we launched the 10-Year Cancer Action Plan, we promised to strengthen efforts to prevent, detect and treat cancers, that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

B.C. has been experiencing rapidly increasing demand for cancer-care services resulting from a growing and aging population - there are more than 5.8 million people living in the province, an increase of almost 10% since 2021.

Also, there are increasing rates of cancer among young people and, positively, a greater number of people with cancer living longer who require ongoing care.

Over the last year, the province says it has hired 92 cancer-care physicians, including 72 oncologists.

Eight Indigenous patient navigators have also been hired across all BC Cancer regional centres to directly support Indigenous patients.

Nearly 30-thousand cervix self-screening kits have been distributed since B.C.’s program expanded provincewide with a first-in-Canada option to screen at home.

Also, more than 27-thousand mammograms, colon and lung screenings were completed this year.

Close to 40-thousand medical and radiation oncology consultations took place in the last year, up 6.6 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively.

There were about 14-hundred trips for cancer patients funded through the Canadian Cancer Society Travel Treatment Fund, representing a 742% increase, and the 5,867 individual travel arrangements made for cancer patients by Hope Air represented a 309% increase.

Over the next year, the Province will continue taking action to further prevent, detect and treat cancers by introducing new treatments, improving radiation-treatment technologies and new anti-cancer drug protocols.

There are also plans to expand the use of the Get Vaccinated system to include the HPV vaccine and make it easier for people without a primary care provider to access colon, breast and lung screening services.

One in two people in B.C. will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.

This year, more than 34,000 people in B.C. will be diagnosed with cancer.

Currently, approximately two-thirds of people in B.C. diagnosed with cancer survive five years or more after a cancer diagnosis.

To see the full release, visit Government of British Columbia.