Cancer

Barriers to Paxlovid are exacerbating our health inequities

Access to Paxlovid has become increasingly challenging. Canada needs to do a better job at making it more accessible to those who would benefit most.

Canada’s health charities must prioritize trust and transparency

An Investigative Journalism Bureau investigation has revealed questionable practices – and regulatory lapses – in Canada’s health charity community, raising questions about fundraising practices, administrative costs and government oversight.

AI offers hope to those suffering from MCAS

The question isn’t whether AI can play a role, it’s whether the global health-care community is willing to invest the necessary resources to unlock its potential.

Peto’s Paradox: Large mammals may hold clues in preventing cancer among humans

Despite their large size, mammals like whales and elephants have dramatically lower rates of cancer than humans. Understanding how these creatures suppress cancer cell growth could hold answers for human health.

‘We have to be very cautious’: Experts speak out on dangers of avian flu outbreak

We asked a group of experts how concerned we need to be in light of the recent H5N1 infection in B.C., and what – if anything – we should do about it. 

Canadians deserve potentially life-saving early warning health-care AI

AI technology threatens to disenfranchise the labour force, further concentrate power and wealth and even destabilize democracy. But it's not all bad news. CHARTWatch shows how AI could be used to save lives rather than destroy them.

Vaping: A valuable harm reduction tool or a public health concern? Experts weigh in

What is Canada to do about e-cigarettes? Does vaping pose a legitimate public health threat or is it a far safer alternative for those who would otherwise be vulnerable to the known harms of cigarettes?

We must address the dangers of e-cigarettes and dual use

It's time to move beyond oversimplified narratives and confront the complex realities of e-cigarette use.

Why screening guideline committees should not include ‘experts’ as voting members

The challenge to those who do not like the Canadian Task Force recommendations is this: Can you provide or research the new evidence required to show how a different policy is better?

Increase in online ADHD diagnoses for kids poses ethical questions

During the pandemic, Ontario swapped out in-clinic ADHD assessment and prescriptions for a virtual care model. Should we continue allowing it for kids?

Who you are and where you live shouldn’t determine your ability to survive cancer

Let us commit to a future in which all people have the resources and support to prevent and treat cancer so that no one is left behind.

OurCare Quebec: ‘Patients are frustrated and afraid of what is to come’

Like most Quebecers, I'm worried about our failing health-care system. We as patients are left feeling frustrated and afraid of what is to come.

Financial side-effects of treatment can be devastating in our ‘free’ health-care system

Health-care providers must also begin to take proactive steps to ensure that patients are not only aware of the medical side effects of their care and treatments, but the financial side effects, too.

Clinic offers a ‘one-stop shop’ for brain care

The Brain Medicine Clinic – a novel clinical model that is a “one-stop shop” for diagnosis, symptom management and treatment – is serving those who don’t have a clear home elsewhere in the health-care system.

Financial toxicity: The relationship between cancer and poverty

Beating cancer doesn't always mean patients will lead healthy and fulfilling lives. They also face the challenge of staying out of the poverty cycle and debt traps throughout the course of their treatment.

Anxiety vs. stress: The right definition will lead to better mental-health care

Conflating stress and anxiety in medical settings can have serious implications for patients. New research on "social prescribing" could pave the way for more effective treatment.

Prostate-cancer screening: Guideline reflects lack of knowledgeable expert input

The last guideline on prostate-cancer screening was published in 2014. At the time, the task force approached the Canadian Urologic Association (CUA) and asked that it provide an expert panel of “stakeholders” to provide input....We found that the task force guideline utilized only data from a small number of randomized trials and ignored scores of other relevant studies. The analysis of the studies that were reviewed was superficial and the guideline was flawed.

Breast-cancer screening: Balancing harm vs. risks

One would expect that the priority of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care on breast-cancer screening would be to recommend practices that would maximally reduce mortality and morbidity from disease. In the case of breast cancer, this suggests focusing on effective guidelines for those who are at increased probability of developing disease or increased risk of late diagnosis and the consequent higher likelihood of premature death or morbidity associated with treating advanced disease.

Excluding experts doesn’t make sense

Most assume that the Canadian task force guidelines are led by content expert specialist clinicians. But this is not the case. The task force says it excludes content experts from genuine involvement in guideline development to avoid conflicts of interest. However, in the Canadian health-care context, this is not a valid argument.

Do doctors know enough about the commercial determinants of health?

Private sector activities have a real impact on people's health. We need to promote healthy cross-industry regulation and scrutinize the role that private interests play in the health-policy arena to help safeguard the health of patients.