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CCAN e-Bulletin

News from the Canadian Cancer Action Network

November 2011

Sharing Responsibility for Cancer Drug Costs: Envisioning a New Model of Coverage

On October 20, 2011, the symposium, 'Sharing Responsibility for Cancer Drug Costs: Envisioning a New Model of Coverage' was held under the auspices of the Public Policy Forum.

Sponsored jointly by the Canadian Cancer Action Network and the Canadian Cancer Society, the concept of this one-day forum was to bring together representatives from all sectors. Delegates addressed the high out-of-pocket expenses paid by many patients, with the aim to ensure that the system is equitable and of high quality. The goal of the meeting was to define an action plan, or way forward, in order to advance work in this area.

The 2011 symposium was highly successful in mapping out next steps to put the issues on the government's agenda. Symposium participants supported a Statement of Principles and agreed to form a cross-sectoral Working Group to devise an action plan. Immediate opportunities to present a united approach include the annual meeting of the Council of the Federation (including all provincial and territorial premiers) in January and the federal/provincial/territorial Health Accord renewal process which has already begun.

Symposium 2011

CCAN Fall Progress Report

With the support and involvement of our member organizations, CCAN is rapidly gaining momentum in many of our key priority areas. To learn more about our work in the cancer control community, please view our Fall 2011 Progress Report .

CCAN 2012 Board of Director Elections

In order to realign the election of the Board with the 31 March fiscal year end, CCAN will hold its elections in February of 2012. Part of CCAN's new governance model, introduced at the Annual General Meeting in October, is an open and fully transparent election process.

The important first step has been taken with the appointment of a Nomination Committee, led by Herold Driedger, Vice-Chair of CCAN.Joining Herold, the other members on this committee are Pam King (CCAN Manitoba representative), Aldo Del Col (Myeloma Canada) and Marjorie Morrison (ex-officio). The Nomination Committee will oversee the process of recruitment, nomination and election to the CCAN Board.

CCAN Members Council Meeting

CCAN Members Council met in Toronto, Ontario on October 7th, 2011. Highlights of the meeting included:

approval of the 2010-2011 Financial Report
approval of by-law changes necessitated by our new policy governance model
approval of the Board nomination process, whereby the Nomination Committee is charged with the responsibility of bringing forward a slate of candidates, together with assigned roles. These, together with any new nominations from the floor, will be voted on by Council.
discussion of the Code of Conduct Governing Corporate Funding for member organizations, which is being developed by the Drug Review Working Group.

Financial Burden of Cancer

CCAN Manitoba and the Canadian Cancer Society (National Office and Manitoba Division) continue to collaborate on how best to address difficulties faced by some cancer patients due to the financial burden of treatment, care and lost income. Goals of the project, now nearing completion, include raising awareness of the problem, prioritizing issues and solutions, and creating a model for action that can be used at the provincial and national level. The root causes of the problem were identified during the information-gathering phase of the project, which included a literature review and interviews with health care workers, patients and families. Some findings of the project:

EI sickness benefits do not meet the needs of many cancer patients and caregivers. The length of the benefits is often too short to support the treatment and recovery phases, and those who are self-employed, working part-time or seasonally employed may not be able to access any benefits.
Assistance varies widely across Canada for drug treatment, travel costs, pain management and medical devices for home use.
Rules for many federal and provincial benefit programs do not align with current modes of treatment and care. People in financial need due to illness often fall through the cracks.
The financial burden is often greater for low-income and rural families.
Some people will base treatment decisions on financial considerations, rather than best medical practices.
Gaps in the health care system create hidden barriers to access for the financial resources that are available. Because they are not informed, people may miss out on the supports already in place.

The results will be shared at Manitoba's Health Innovations Conference in November, 2011.

The content for this article was contributed by the Canadian Cancer Society/CCAN Financial Burden of Cancer Steering Committee.

NCD Alliance

In early September, CCAN CEO Marjorie Morrison and Past-Chair Jack Shapiro attended a UN Summit Civil Society Briefing in New York.

The briefing, 'From Advocacy to Action' (hosted by the NCD Alliance) was designed to address how NGOs from around the world can best continue to work together to advance and influence action following the UN High Level Meeting of global leaders on NCDs.

Of special interest to CCAN were the panel presentations on shared challenges and concerns, the capacity to effect change and necessary actions to advance global health changes.

End-of-Life Care

CCAN Director Tanny Nadon (Chair, CCAN Issues Committee) recently attended the national conference of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Her objective was to explore the best approach for CCAN to advance work in this new area of focus. She also published an article ('From a Patient's Perspective') in Aviso, the CHPCA's newsletter; this is reproduced in the CCAN Fall Progress Report.

In September, the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) awarded Tanny the AMA Medal of Honor, in recognition of her extensive contributions over the last 13 years in increasing awareness of skin protection and melanoma.

Spotlight on CCAN Member: Prostate Cancer Canada

Prostate Cancer Canada (PCC) is a national foundation dedicated to the elimination of prostate cancer and finding a cure. Through research, advocacy, public awareness and education, and the provision of support services, its vision is to be a global leader in the fight against prostate cancer, earning the enthusiasm and support of Canadians through integrity, compassion, and innovation.

Through Prostate Cancer Canada Network (PCCN), an affiliated network of more than 75 support groups located throughout Canada, the organization helps men and their families improve their knowledge and understanding of the disease by promoting the importance of early detection and appropriate treatment, providing up to date information, and peer to peer support and encouragement when faced with a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Canada raises funds for program development through a variety of activities and special event campaigns, including Father's Day Walks/Runs, Wake Up Call Breakfasts, and 'Movember'.

What's 'Movember'?

From its humble beginnings in Melbourne, Australia, where 'Mo' is slang for a moustache, 'Movember' has grown into a truly global movement inspiring more than 1.1 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas in Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, UK, Finland, Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Ireland to campaign for the cause of men's health. 'Movember' aims to change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, to educate men about the health risks they face, and get them to act on that knowledge, thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment. In 2010, nearly 119,000 Canadian Mo Bros and Mo Sistas got on board.

The Canadian Cancer Action Network (CCAN) is comprised of national cancer-site patient organizations and population organizations from across Canada, representing an enormous network of cancer patients and their families. CCAN is dedicated to ensuring the patient voice is heard across the cancer continuum in order to accelerate progress in cancer control and achieve a health care system that is affordable and equitable to all Canadians. CCAN is affiliated with the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, an independent body established by the federal government to implement Canada's cancer control strategy.

Publication of this communication has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada, through the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. The views expressed herein represent the view of the Canadian Cancer Action Network.