Cancer

Behind the scenes: The increasingly complex – and common – radiation treatment for cancer

Radiation therapy for cancer is becoming increasingly complex, sophisticated and personalized. Behind the scenes for most patients hides an invisible team hard at work.

The key to living longer and better? Dying at home

Despite our preferences, most Canadians do not have the privilege of dying at home. Although it is not possible to guarantee a good death, it is possible to reduce your risk of a bad death by thinking and talking about end-of-life.

The gift of a better death

Canadians need universal and equitable access to high-quality palliative care. It’s time to talk about death and dying more openly and ask ourselves: What is a good death?

New drug to treat prostate cancer may be out of reach for most Canadians

A new, last-hope prostate cancer treatment has been approved by Health Canada but may be out of reach for most of the more than 4,500 men who die of the disease each year.

Episode 51 – Cardiovascular Disease and Colorectal Cancer Screening

Ten health literacy principles cancer patients need to know

A medical oncologist describes ten health literacy principles to help cancer patients be informed participants in important treatment decisions.

​​‘You’re in remission’: Professor goes from picking out gravestone to planning retirement

My illness was something that happened to me, but I was still under there. I had to come out from under that shadow to figure out who I wanted to be even if I was going to die in a few months. My life changed significantly when I realized I was in control. I’ve decided I’m going to retire earlier than originally planned so I can scratch things off my bucket list now that it is deeper than before. I know if my cancer returns, I’m going to have a big blowout funeral party and obviously attend it myself.

Secondary losses: The impact of the pandemic on Canadians with cancer

We're only beginning to understand the "secondary losses" of the pandemic. The immediate future of health care will likely be defined by the appearance of illnesses that flourished among the forgotten, patients who were inadvertently neglected.

Smart bras, molecular imaging and genome sequencing: Innovations take on breast cancer

What if a bra, taking images like an MRI, could detect breast cancer? With recent technological innovations, there may soon be cheap, non-invasive ways to screen people for breast cancer in their own homes.

Our Surgeries, Ourselves

Columnist Anne Borden King combines meticulous research with moving reflections about living with breast cancer to expose an overlooked form of medical paternalism and explore the thought-provoking relationship between one’s body and most intimate self-image.

Scrap the Pap

We need to switch from traditional Pap testing to oncogenic HPV screening to save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of cases of cervical cancer. The longer we put off switching, the more we needlessly put people at risk.

What’s in a name? Fear for patients when cancer is in a hospital’s title

The word "cancer" induces distress, fear, and perhaps even guilt in cancer patients. So why do we include the word in the names of so many hospital institutions?

Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome: How good intentions can go wrong

Chemotherapy-induced vomiting is a serious complication for cancer patients. Some cannabinoids treat vomiting, but can also cause a rare, dangerous vomiting disorder. What happens when a treatment exacerbates the problem it aims to fix?

When hope kills: Social media’s false promises to cancer patients

Our columnist explains how following her cancer diagnosis, Facebook’s advertising algorithms began targeting her for cancer ads from quacks selling fake cures. We must hold these snake-oil salesmen accountable while teaching people how to not be persuaded by fake solutions.

‘A tsunami of cancer’: The need to ramp up care sidelined by COVID-19 is urgent

COVID-19 has halted crucial cancer screening, tests and treatments. Further delays and interruptions could ignite another public health crisis.

I’ve got cancer. Will I get the care I need during a pandemic?

A tale of two patients: The ‘postal code’ lottery of palliative care

Will COVID-19 affect my cancer surgery?

Should I get the HPV vaccine to guard against cancer?

Out-of-province medical care: what you need to know.