Ontario’s cancer system safe and effective but could be improved, group finds

By News Staff

Ontario’s cancer survival rates are among the highest in the world, but there are areas of equality and efficiency within the system that can be improved, according to a report released Wednesday.

In a report by the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario (CQCO) – an advisory group made up of cancer survivors and experts in health services and policy – the province ranks “good” in terms of being safe, effective, accessible and responsive, but only fair in terms of equality, integration and efficiency.

According to the CQCO, Ontario’s survival rates are among the highest among comparable jurisdictions, with the province the best performer for colon and rectum cancer survival, and near the top for breast and prostate cancers. Ontario has a lower mortality rate than the Canadian average for colorectal and lung cancer for both males and females, as well as breast cancer in females. The mortality rate for prostate cancer is on par with the Canadian rate.

According to the report, in 2013 there were over 360,000 people in Ontario who had been diagnosed with cancer in the previous 10 years, and cancer remains the leading cause of death in Ontario. The CQCO says the annual number of new cases diagnosed in Ontario has more than doubled since 1984, with an estimated 85,600 cases diagnosed in 2016.


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The report found that while the processes for a safe cancer system are in place, there is room to improve in terms of understanding complications of care and supporting patients during the active treatment phase. And that Ontarians have adequate access to the specialist services they need within appropriate timeframes and that care is generally respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences.

However, the group found that there is inequality in terms of care because of the gender, ethnicity and geographic location of patients, there should be more coordination among services within the province’s cancer system and there could be improvements in the efficient use of services in the cancer system.

The report also stated that there has been a decrease in wait times for radiation treatment over the past decade, and that specialization and collaboration in specialized cancer surgery centres has improved patient care. However, there could be a reduction in unnecessary testing and earlier access to palliative care services “to provide optimal outcomes for patients and their families.”

The CQCO’s mandates are to monitor and publicly report on the province’s cancer system annually, and to improve the quality of the system through national and international benchmarking.


STATISTICS

  • Overall, 46% of lymphoma cancer patients in 2013 started chemotherapy within 30 days following diagnosis (compared to 50% in 2012).
  • For oropharynx cancer patients diagnosed in 2014, the median wait time from diagnosis to start of treatment was reported as being 49 days (referral to consult is 7 days).
  • For cervical cancer patients diagnosed in 2014, the median wait time in days from diagnosis to start of treatment was 60 days (referral to consult is 5 days).
  • 84% of all cancer surgery patients received their consult within the recommended wait time in 2015, and 88% received their surgery within the recommend wait time.
  • 64% of cancer patients had a first consult with an outpatient palliative care team within 14 days of referral in 2015.
  • Overall, just over half (57%) of stage III colon cancer patients ages 65 and older were treated with guideline-recommended chemotherapy from 2010 to 2013. Rates were significantly lower in patients ages 80 and over.

 

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