In Canada, more than 220,000 people receive a cancer diagnosis each year. In their lifetimes, about 40% of people will develop some kind of cancer, and 25% of those people will pass away from it. By 2030, new diagnoses are predicted to increase by around 40% as the country’s population ages.
Not only are plan sponsors concerned about a rise in late-stage cancers, but doctors are also noting that patients are arriving with more advanced disease. Forty-eight per cent of plan members admit to delaying treatment because of a variety of ailments during the epidemic.
Delays in seeking treatment were most prevalent among caregivers, with 64% reporting they had waited, as well as among those under stress (63%) and those with poor health (58%).
The epidemic, according to roughly a quarter of Canadian cancer patients, caused a delay in diagnosis, and nearly one in five said there was a delay between diagnosis and treatment. Nearly half of individuals receiving treatment experienced cancelled or rescheduled appointments.
A four-week delay in treatment, according to the Canadian Cancer Society, increases the risk of death by 10%. For those who survive, the majority will face considerable physical and emotional difficulties after their treatment, necessitating assistance.
