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Help Suzanne Aucoin
Sept 29, 2007 - The St. Catharines Standard
St. Catharines Standard (ON)
News, Saturday, September 29, 2007, p. A11
ONTARIO ELECTION
Groups call for improved cancer care
PETER DOWNS
Ontario continues to lag behind most provinces when it comes to fighting
cancer in at least a couple of key areas, say advocates for patients and
seniors.
"We're asking not to be discriminated against because we live in Ontario,"
said St. Catharines cancer patient Suzanne Aucoin. "We're Canadian. It
shouldn't matter where we live."
Aucoin, 37, is a member of the Ontario Citizens' Cancer Coalition, which has
teamed up with CARP - Canada's Association for the 50 Plus - to push for
changes from Ontario's next government in what they're calling the "No More
Waiting" campaign.
The two groups want the party that wins the Oct. 10 election to commit to
bringing Ontario up to the same level as British Columbia when it comes to
funding new intravenous cancer drugs.
The groups say Ontario covers the full cost of just four IV drugs for all
patients from a list of 24 - second lowest of all provinces - that were
recently approved for use by Health Canada.
Cancer patients in B.C. can receive full funding for 20 of the medications
on the list. "B.C. has figured it out. Ontario is not a poor province, so
why can't we figure it out?" asked Aucoin, who has been fighting terminal
colon cancer for the past four years.
The two groups are also lobbying for Ontario's next government to
significantly increase access to a form of diagnostic examination called
Positron Emission Tomography, or PET scans.
The scans are used to detect cancerous growths and measure the effect of
treatment on tumours.
Quebec leads the country funding 209 PET scans per 100,000 people, while
Ontario is last with just six scans being funded per 100,000 people,
according to 2006 data provided by the two groups.
But neither of the advocacy groups is convinced the top three political
parties will act on their recommendations.
The leaders of the Liberals, Progressive Conservatives and the NDP responded
to the groups' concerns last week in letters, but didn't commit to meet
their demands.
"They all expressed concern and commitment to work toward betterment of the
health-care system, but nobody said we're going to do this for you guys,"
said David Cravit, senior vice-president for 50 Plus.
Cravit said his group's members are growing increasingly disenchanted with
political rhetoric.
"Our members are very, very concerned with health care. They're skeptical of
the politicians having any answers. They don't trust what they're hearing
and it's not getting better," he said.
pdowns@stcatharinesstandard.ca
Box(es):
On the web
More information about the groups' campaign and a petition for health-care
change can be found online at www.nomorewaiting.info
© 2007 St. Catharines Standard (ON). All rights reserved.
Doc. : news·20070929·XW·0031
This material is copyrighted. All rights reserved.
© 2001 CEDROM-Sni
St. Catharines Standard (ON)
News, Saturday, September 29, 2007, p. A11
ONTARIO ELECTION
Groups call for improved cancer care
PETER DOWNS
Ontario continues to lag behind most provinces when it comes to fighting
cancer in at least a couple of key areas, say advocates for patients and
seniors.
"We're asking not to be discriminated against because we live in Ontario,"
said St. Catharines cancer patient Suzanne Aucoin. "We're Canadian. It
shouldn't matter where we live."
Aucoin, 37, is a member of the Ontario Citizens' Cancer Coalition, which has
teamed up with CARP - Canada's Association for the 50 Plus - to push for
changes from Ontario's next government in what they're calling the "No More
Waiting" campaign.
The two groups want the party that wins the Oct. 10 election to commit to
bringing Ontario up to the same level as British Columbia when it comes to
funding new intravenous cancer drugs.
The groups say Ontario covers the full cost of just four IV drugs for all
patients from a list of 24 - second lowest of all provinces - that were
recently approved for use by Health Canada.
Cancer patients in B.C. can receive full funding for 20 of the medications
on the list. "B.C. has figured it out. Ontario is not a poor province, so
why can't we figure it out?" asked Aucoin, who has been fighting terminal
colon cancer for the past four years.
The two groups are also lobbying for Ontario's next government to
significantly increase access to a form of diagnostic examination called
Positron Emission Tomography, or PET scans.
The scans are used to detect cancerous growths and measure the effect of
treatment on tumours.
Quebec leads the country funding 209 PET scans per 100,000 people, while
Ontario is last with just six scans being funded per 100,000 people,
according to 2006 data provided by the two groups.
But neither of the advocacy groups is convinced the top three political
parties will act on their recommendations.
The leaders of the Liberals, Progressive Conservatives and the NDP responded
to the groups' concerns last week in letters, but didn't commit to meet
their demands.
"They all expressed concern and commitment to work toward betterment of the
health-care system, but nobody said we're going to do this for you guys,"
said David Cravit, senior vice-president for 50 Plus.
Cravit said his group's members are growing increasingly disenchanted with
political rhetoric.
"Our members are very, very concerned with health care. They're skeptical of
the politicians having any answers. They don't trust what they're hearing
and it's not getting better," he said.
pdowns@stcatharinesstandard.ca
Box(es):
On the web
More information about the groups' campaign and a petition for health-care
change can be found online at www.nomorewaiting.info
© 2007 St. Catharines Standard (ON). All rights reserved.
Doc. : news·20070929·XW·0031
This material is copyrighted. All rights reserved.
© 2001 CEDROM-Sni