Honest question. I've read that if you get cancer in Canada and can't afford to go outside Canada for treatment, you're pretty much dead. What's the average wait time between starting treatment after being diagnosed with cancer in Canada?
Other - Canada - 18 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I think it depends on the seriousness of your case. My father was diagnosed with brain cancer, needing surgery, chemo & radiation and he had absolutely no wait whatsoever. But he would have died within a week if they hadn't operated immediately.
2 :
No, that's true at all. Trust me when I say this... and you don't have to believe me... just listen to what I'm saying...... 90% of the stuff you guys hear about our medical system is horror stories. They're either made up stories, or they were serious mistakes. For some reason there's lots of detractors down there from universal medicare... which is fine I guess.... it just ticks me off they villify our system... it's none of their business anyways I wish they would just focus on their problems for a change. anyways to answer your question It depends where you are. In Canada, medical care is provincially funded, so it will all depend on that particular province's policies regarding medi-care. Furthermore, eacho province usually has several health boards that may vary in their policies, so that will also affect it. Now I'm just saying this from person experience when my mom got diagnosed a few years ago with Breast Cancer, they gave her a couple options. I'm from Alberta, btw, so it may operate differently in other provinces. She was recommended to go to a private clinic (which we do have... contrary to popular belief down there), becuase it would be faster. She would pay more for biopsy results, but it woudl come back fast. After that she went to the public hospital for treatment, and it was very timely for us.... actually it was about a month, of which almost every week she had a check up to see how far it was spreading. Up here they usually do it by who is the sickest, and in most need.
3 :
6 hours for a friend with colon cancer. A month and a half for a friend with low grade bone cancer, a lot of which time was taken up with tests. Seems to be a couple of weeks on average. By the way, the friend with bone cancer went out of Canada for proton beam treatment. Proton beam is used for rare cancers; the doctor said going to the US was like renting a carpet cleaner rather than buying one. The provincial insurance program paid. You'll notice that medical care isn't a high anxiety item for people who are losing jobs in Canada right now. They will continue to be part of the insurance scheme, employed or not., continuing to use the same health card. With all due respect, there seem to be factions in the US who are determined to avoid the introduction of universal health care. One point I would like to make is that, statistically, Canadians live longer that US citizens and healthcare costs are much lower.
4 :
My grandfather died of cancer, however he was treated immediately right from the day they found out what he had. My father in-law currently has cancer and again he got treatment right away. So in my experience none of my family members were put on any type of wait times. They just booked an appointment and got in right away. I am sure it varies based on the type of cancer you have, where you live, and how many people require treatment. As I said. . I have never experienced any long wait times with my family members.
5 :
I have a friend that was just diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She went to the hospital because she was having problems. They kept her overnight, and the next day did surgery, followed by chemo. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, and had her surgery etc within about 3 weeks. My mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Hers was found too late and she was given 3 months to live. It had nothing to do with treatments, as pancreatic cancer is spread quickly and is almost always fatal.
6 :
My best friend works in a state of the art cancer treatment center in Canada. It is the same place that my father went to when he had prostate cancer. He had about a month between diagnosis and the beginning of his radiation therapy. He was in remission for his cancer, but the treatment took a toll on his body, and he had a series of heart attacks and passed away about 2 years after starting treatment. At the cancer center that my friend works in, they have 3 "machines" that they may be working on a patient on (it is the only cancer treatment center in Saskatchewan, but the entire province has around 1 million people). There is no wait list for patients to get in, and the staff will often put in extra time if needed to make sure that treatment is given to all patients who need it (they make $30 per hour to start plus OT). I know with my father, he was working when he started treatment, so they accommodated him coming in on weekends for his treatment. They also provide accommodations free of charge to those living outside of the city for the duration of their treatment. I know if I ever had cancer, I would want to be treated in Canada. I know that in the US, you guys hear about all of the wait lists and people coming for treatment down there. However, the truth is, if someone has a life threatening condition or needs immediate treatment, they get it. The people on wait lists are ones who want treatments that are not required. For example, I have a friend who had a knee injury 10 years ago. It acts up when it gets really humid out. She finally decided this year to get it looked at. She waited for 2 months to get into a specialist, and a week more for an MRI. Now, she is on a wait list for knee surgery (probably around 2-3 months). These are the types of people who go to the US for treatment if they get impatient waiting here, and only if they can afford it. She can't, and has had the injury for 10 years anyways, so she's waiting it out. When my mom slipped a disc in her back and was immobile, she was in for surgery within less than a month. Basically, the more critical the treatment is, the quicker you will get in.
7 :
I don't know where you heard that. Speaking from personal experience, cancer treatment can happen very very quickly. I had a biopsy on a Friday. My oncologist called me Saturday morning and told me he wanted me in the chemotherapy clinic on Monday. Can't get much faster than that.
8 :
When my mother was suspected of breast cancer, she waited about 3 days for a biopsy and had surgery about 2 weeks after the results came back. From first suspicion to hospital discharge was about 6 weeks. What you hear about wait times in Canada are fabrications that right wingers do not want you to think universal medical insurance is any good. To get the biopsy that fast we had the doctor's office call around a bit as the doctor he normally used was backed up 2 weeks. But since every doctor in Canada is covered, they just found one that was not as busy a few kilometers away. No big deal. Yes, some really popular doctors get backed up 2-3 months. But there is nothing preventing you from shopping around. What you hear about are the doctors that get backed up and this is presented to you as normal when it is not. When my daughter had appendicitis, she had surgery within 3 hours of taking her in.
9 :
When my mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer last year, on a Monday, she started treatment on Friday. She is currently cancer free, but goes for regular testing so they can nab it quick if it comes back.
10 :
Hi! All those stories you here are just jealous reactions to our wonderful medicare system! Ha, ha! If only you Americans could have what we have have! Keep dreaming!
11 :
I know plenty of cancer survivors who recieved excellent treatment here in Canada. I also know one person who chose to go to the US and pay for his own treatment, not because it was better but because the process used at this particular clinic was less invasive and had a faster healing time. It was his choice to spend the $35,000 and I know he's glad he did but it was not as much for the quality or swiftness of care as it was for the method of care that he wanted.
12 :
After my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer (in Ontario), she started treatment within days. She also received the latest treatment options, as well as encouragement to explore non-traditional (but supportive) options. From everything I heard, I can't imagine her receiving better care anywhere on earth. So much for the filthy lies people keep telling about the Canadian healthcare system. In reality, it works like this: you get a minor illness, you call-up your doctor and make an appointment. Your doctor examines you and provides a diagnosis and treatment options. You thank him/her, smile at the receptionist as you leave, and go home. If it's an emergency, you can go straight to a hospital emergency room, or call an ambulance to take you there. If it is a true emergency, you'll be seen right away. If it's not an emergency, then you might have to wait until all the real emergency patients have been dealt with...just like you will at any emergency room anywhere in the world. Still, you're seen by a doctor and/or specialist(s), you receive a diagnosis, a prognosis, and treatment options. Once discharged, you smile at those who took such good care of you, and go home. I'm as healthy as a horse and barely have a need for doctors' services. But I've never had a single problem with receiving any kind of medical treatment whatsoever, over the years. If there is any "problem", it's the lack of doctors willing to work in rural areas (just like in the U.S.) and, in some areas, doctors not taking new patients. If that's a "problem" then that's the only one I've personally run into. I live in a region where not many private practice GP's are taking new clients. So, until I find one, I have to go to a "family" medical clinic (sometimes called a "walk-in clinic" but you can make an appointment at these places). It's just that I might not see the same doctor each time. I completely agree that having a primary care physician is the ideal (and is what I had for my entire life, up until now) but, realistically, Canadian doctors are well-trained, and you're generallly in good hands no matter who you get. However, this is primarily a problem of smaller cities/towns and rural areas. Having lived in large cities my whole life, it was a surprise to run into this situation when I moved to this area a couple of years ago. (80% of Canadians live in cities.) Sure, healthcare in Canada isn't "free" in the sense we all pay into it via taxes. But you have no financial worries if you become ill, want to have a baby, etc. The "cost" of your medical treatments will remain a mystery to you, as you'll never see a bill for the vast majority of medical services. So, please, take this information back to the extremely ignorant (or dishonest) person who told you such a thing. It's so far from the truth, it's almost laughable. Oops! Forgot to add another relative's brain cancer treatment. He was diagnosed on a Friday, and started treatment on Monday. Yeah...really long wait. Funny that I just watched a segment on last weekend's "60 Minutes" about an American woman who says she's been given a 'death sentence' because her local (American) hospital will no longer provide cancer treatment to patients who can't pay. ...Can't imagine anything like that happening in Canada.
13 :
An average US Male has a 5 year cancer survival rate of 66.3% An average Canadian Male has a 5 year cancer survival rate of 58%. http://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2007/10/closer-look-at-cancer-survival-rates.html The facts are the facts and don't let anybody tell you otherwise, no matter what anecdotal evidence they try to bring up.
14 :
W-O-W Some people are so stupid
15 :
It really depends. It could be within days or it could take weeks. And in some provinces they don't bother with useing the newer chemo drugs. So if I get cancer I am going to the states. Being broke is better than being dead.
16 :
Father-in-law was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer and started treatment immediately. This is a common misconception about Canadian healthcare. If YOU NEED IT then you will get it immediately. Any elective surgeries or non-life threatening surgeries will take a long time. Which is completely fair IMO.
17 :
I have had cancer twice - the first time was 20 years ago. The last time was a different type of cancer and that was diagnosed 4 years ago. I waited a month with the first cancer but only because I did not want to go to a different city. The last time, I was diagnosed on Thursday and was operated on two days later on a Saturday. Obviously, I recovered both times, so..... Don't believe everything you hear. In fact, if it is coming from the status quo in the States and has anything to do with Universal medicare as practiced in Canada, you might be well advised not to listen to it at all.
18 :
that's BS from the US..we don;'t wait for treatment, ur insurance companies are lying to u...Canada's healthcare is excellent
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