CARO's Statement on the Announcement from the Government of B.C.

The Canadian Association for Radiation Oncology (CARO) was disappointed to hear the May 15th announcement from the government of British Columbia (BC) that up to 4800 cancer patients over the next two years will be sent to the United States to receive radiation therapy. 

While we commend BC’s commitment to timely radiotherapy access, leaving home and spending time in a foreign country during an illness adds complexity to what is already a difficult time, and does not represent optimal patient-centred care. 

Our hope for the future, not only in BC but across all provinces and territories of Canada, is that:

All Canadian jurisdictions will develop and make public cancer action plans with a minimum 10-year horizon that incorporate appropriate capital investment timelines and staffing requirements;

Input from radiotherapy professionals (radiation therapists, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists) will be sought for resource planning;

Existing data and projections will be taken into account;

The increasing cancer care needs related to an expanding and aging population will be considered.

CARO has existing committees, including Human Resources, and Quality and Safety, available to advise on these and related issues.

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