Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations

September 2025

Recommendation 1: The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, should reduce red tape and improve access to cancer care across interprovincial barriers.

Recommendation 2: The Government of Canada should foster health innovation to build a stronger, more independent cancer care system.

Recommendation 3: The Government of Canada should take steps to accelerate access to life-saving cancer treatments and technologies.

Cancer Action Now’s 2025 Pre-Budget Submission to the Department of Finance

Overview:

Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada. Trends indicate a rise in the number of cases; in 2000 there were 137,697 new diagnoses of cancer compared to an estimated 247,100 in 2024.[1] With the health care system at full capacity, people living with cancer continue to face barriers at every step of their cancer journey.

The reality is people in Canada living with cancer are dying while they wait for care. This reality stands in stark contrast to the principles outlined in the Canada Health Act. The Act sets out five foundational criteria – public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability, and accessibility – that are not being upheld for people in Canada living with cancer.

Many are struggling to afford the out-of-pocket costs associated with a cancer diagnosis, such as drugs and treatments, medical transportation and accommodation, and loss of pay due to inability to work, among other costs. An estimated 20% of cancer costs are paid by those living with cancer or their caregivers. For equity-deserving populations or those living in remote regions, these costs are even greater. [2] This has led to disparities within the healthcare system.

On the following pages we have outlined three recommendations for the Department of Finance to consider that would help alleviate the burden placed on those diagnosed with cancer, their families, friends and communities.

Recommendation 1: The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, should reduce red tape and improve access to cancer care across interprovincial barriers.

Recommendation 2: The Government of Canada should foster health innovation to build a stronger, more independent cancer care system.

Recommendation 3: The Government of Canada should take steps to accelerate access to life-saving cancer treatments and technologies.

Recommendation 1

The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, should reduce red tape and improve access to cancer care across interprovincial barriers.

We are pleased to see ongoing collaboration and discussions around the removal of red tape between the federal government and provincial governments. In the spirit of nation building, the federal government should work with the provinces to eliminate regional disparities in cancer care.

The federal government can do this by working with provinces and territories to break down interprovincial barriers that limit access to timely and equitable cancer care. This includes streamlining processes for the secure and timely transfer of patient data, facilitating patient mobility across provincial borders, and standardizing cancer care delivery to ensure consistent quality of care nationwide. ​

Achieving this goal will require sustained federal leadership to advance interoperable health data sharing across all Canadian jurisdictions. The government should revisit and build on the objectives of the Connected Care for Canadians Act, ensuring that there is alignment with continued investments in the Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy. This includes supporting the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) and the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) by providing the necessary resources to implement the previously developed national cancer data framework, as well as establishing shared outcome measurement tools and diagnostic standards – particularly for biomarker testing and other critical components of personalized cancer care. These investments should be considered investment financing, not operating funds, because they will develop and implement long-term data infrastructure.

During this time of economic instability, a cancer diagnosis only adds additional financial pressure. For individuals living in rural and remote communities, access to healthcare is an ongoing issue. Travelling to appointments and treatments, as well as a lack of access to information becomes an additional barrier. A 2024 study reported the average cancer patient is dealing with nearly $33,000 in costs including out-of-pocket expenses and lost income during treatment and recovery.[3]

The added cost of a cancer diagnosis leaves some patients with no choice but to go without the care and treatments they need. By acting to eliminate geographic disparities, reducing red tape and enabling interprovincial cooperation, you will create a more equitable cancer care system to address these issues.

Recommendation 2

The Government of Canada should foster health innovation to build a stronger, more independent cancer care system.

Canada has an opportunity to lead in cancer innovation by creating a policy environment that fosters research and development. With some countries reducing funding for cancer research and shifting their approach to higher education, there is an opportunity for Canada to fill this gap and further establish itself as a global leader in cancer care innovation. We understand cementing Canada as a global leader in innovation and bringing the best talent to Canada is a priority for this government.

Investments in domestic cancer care and research will attract top global talent, reduce reliance on other countries, and position Canada as a hub for cutting-edge advancements in cancer treatment and technology. With investments in research and policy change to foster growth and drive innovation, we will strengthen Canada’s health care system and ensure timely access to care for all people in Canada while also driving economic growth through our life sciences sector.​

​At the same time, the federal government should focus on prioritizing the retention of domestic talent. Recent cuts to oncology clinical trials in Canada have created a funding shortfall that threatens the future of critical research, thereby limiting opportunities for Canadian researchers to lead on innovative projects. While attracting global talent remains valuable, the federal government should also continue to prioritize a Canada first approach, one that protects and builds a stronger public health care system for all.

Investments in research funding should also fall within the investment category, not operational funding. These investments are a fundamental element of ensuring that our cancer care system can continue to innovate and drive improvements and operational savings through the increased use of technology.

Recommendation 3

The Government of Canada should take steps to accelerate access to life-saving cancer treatments and technologies.

On average, people in Canada wait two years for access to new medicines through public drug plans following Health Canada drug approval. This is double the average time reported in several other high-income OECD countries[4]. According to a report from the Conference Board of Canada in 2022, it took a minimum of 28 months for life-saving treatments and drugs to reach 50 per cent of public plan beneficiaries.

Streamlining regulatory pathways for cancer drugs and innovative therapies can reduce approval times and bring treatments to patients faster. Further, support for expedited access to critical cancer medications has been demonstrated by leaders across the nation. Following the Council of the Federation meeting in Halifax during the summer of 2024, Premier Ford, as chair of the Council of the Federation, emphasized that reducing the time it takes for patients to access medications is a key priority for Premiers. More recently, Prime Minister Mark Carney, through his Canada Strong mandate letter, reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening our healthcare system. A cornerstone of this initiative is the modernization of Canada’s public healthcare system, including a pledge to cut wait times for life-saving medications in half. Therefore, we call on the federal government to consider solutions that will accelerate access to lifesaving treatments for cancer patients.

In line with this, to improve timelines for access to new treatments, we recommend considering reallocation resources from the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) to Health Canada. This could help strengthen regulatory capacity and accelerate the processing of drug submissions, reducing delays that currently prevent patients from receiving timely, life-saving therapies. These operational savings are in line with the government’s stated objectives to reduce spending.

The Alliance also believes that there is significant duplication with the number of different ethics boards that review clinical trials. It is our recommendation that instead, operational savings could be achieved through a single dedicated national ethics board. Once established, a single board could accelerate patient access to innovative therapies and diagnostic tools, such as cancer-related genomic testing, while also reducing operational spending by eliminating unnecessary duplication.

Conclusion

Addressing the issues listed above will require concerted action from federal, provincial, and territorial governments – a role the federal government is best positioned to lead using its power as a convenor. Any decisions taken towards improved cancer care should be informed by the experiences of patients, health care providers across the cancer care continuum, caregivers, and equity-deserving groups that are navigating the system in different parts of the country.

More silos will only make these challenges worse. The federal government working with provinces can together address important priorities to improve cancer care in Canada.

About Cancer Action Now

Cancer Action Now is a national alliance of patient organizations, professional associations and life science companies who are witnessing the magnitude of the problem our cancer care systems and its patients are facing. We have come together to call on governments to address the issues in our cancer care systems so that Canadians with cancer have a chance to live longer, better lives than anywhere else in the world.

Alliance members include:

  • AMHOQ
  • AstraZeneca
  • Canadian Cancer Survivor Network
  • Canadian Liver Foundation
  • Cancer Collaborative
  • Cancer Research Society
  • CANO
  • CML Network
  • Coalition priorité cancer au Québec
  • Colorectal Cancer Canada
  • Fondation Quebecoise du cancer
  • Gastrointestinal Society
  • HPV Global Action
  • Immunocompromised People Are Not Expendable (IPANE)
  • BD Canada
  • Janssen
  • Kidney Cancer Canada
  • Life Saving Therapies Network
  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
  • Lung Cancer Canada
  • Lung Health Foundation
  • Merck
  • Myeloma Canada
  • Ovarian Cancer Canada
  • Pancreatic Cancer Canada
  • Procure
  • Praxus Health
  • Rethink Breast Cancer
  • Roche
  • Ruban Rose
  • Save Your Skin Foundation
  • The Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada
  • Look Good Feel Better
  • Craig’s Cause Pancreatic Society
  • CCRAN
  • Canadian Immunocompromised Advocacy Network
  • Immunocompromised People Are Not Expendable

[1] https://cdn.cancer.ca/-/media/files/research/cancer-statistics/2024-statistics/2024-special-report/2024_pdf_en.pdf?rev=5e4571f0dc22433baf1abf21ae2874d3&hash=AB563A419B8C8044B88F9EA1D4CC200A&_gl=1*2nhpn5*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3NTI1MTUwMTcuQ2p3S0NBancxZExEQmhCb0Vpd0FRTlJpUVQ0cjBhWXUyR1htUWREOXBITDFQNkM3OWJjUkVGdlRtcjhsLU5XU0d0ODFHN2M0REl0Uk1Cb0M1MUFRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*ODUxNDY1OTc1LjE3NTI1MTQ3NjM.

[2] https://cdn.cancer.ca/-/media/files/research/cancer-statistics/2024-statistics/2024-special-report/2024_pdf_en.pdf?rev=5e4571f0dc22433baf1abf21ae2874d3&hash=AB563A419B8C8044B88F9EA1D4CC200A&_gl=1*2nhpn5*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3NTI1MTUwMTcuQ2p3S0NBancxZExEQmhCb0Vpd0FRTlJpUVQ0cjBhWXUyR1htUWREOXBITDFQNkM3OWJjUkVGdlRtcjhsLU5XU0d0ODFHN2M0REl0Uk1Cb0M1MUFRQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*ODUxNDY1OTc1LjE3NTI1MTQ3NjM.

[3] https://cancer.ca/en/about-us/media-releases/2024/cancer-statistics-special-report

[4] https://innovativemedicines.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-CADTH-Poster-EN-1.pdf