Thanks to advances in cancer prevention, screening and treatment, about 1.5 million people in Canada now live at least 25 years after being diagnosed.[i] But what happens after treatment ends and the routine appointments stop?
Vinesha Ramasamy was first diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer as a 15-year-old newcomer to Canada. By age 19, she was facing cancer for a second time and was given just months to live. Innovative cancer care saved her life – but her challenges didn’t end there.
Although she went on to become a university graduate and young professional, the transitions from pediatric care to adult care, and then from intensive treatments to life with and beyond cancer, left their mark.
“It looked like I was thriving beyond cancer but I was still facing many challenges in the aftermath,” she said. “I was left with minimal support to deal with the devastating impact of everything I had gone through, and continue to face, on my cancer journey.”
Ramasamy’s experiences are not unique. A study conducted by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (the Partnership) found that two-thirds of people who’ve had cancer report difficulties after treatment, particularly during the first six to 12 months.[i] It’s even more challenging for those from equity-denied populations.
To help patients like Ramasamy, the Partnership supported partners across Canada to design tools and resources for post-treatment care. These are now available through an online hub, Life after cancer: Transforming the post-treatment experience.
In the hub, healthcare organizations, providers and people living with and beyond cancer can access links to national and local programs, chat groups, help lines and more. They can also find examples of innovative ways in which organizations in different provinces and territories are addressing patients’ needs after cancer treatment.
Not only does this help to support the adoption and adaption of initiatives across Canada, it also builds capacity throughout the cancer system.
In Alberta, for instance, Dr. Linda Watson and her team developed a cancer website, funded by the Partnership, to meet the needs of family doctors and community partners.
“The need for a web resource like ours is not limited to just Alberta,” said Dr. Watson, Executive Director of the Supportive Care Services and Patient Experience program at Cancer Care Alberta. “The new Life After Cancer hub makes this type of information more accessible across Canada because the demand for clear cancer survivorship resources is urgent and widespread.”
The Life After Cancer hub is such a beautiful space where survivors like me can feel seen and validated – that our challenges are real and we’re not alone.
Resources within the Life After Cancer hub address:
- Physical challenges – such as fertility, chronic pain or mobility
- Practical challenges – such as returning to work or finding insurance
- Emotional and mental health challenges
- Challenges specific to adolescents and young adults
- Challenges specific to First Nations, Inuit and Métis
- Challenges faced by diverse and equity-denied populations
“This hub should be seen as a living website,” said Dr. Watson, “with new evidence and information about living well after cancer being added as they emerge.”
The initiative has made a huge difference for Vinesha Ramasamy. “The resources available through the hub helped me find my voice,” she said. “I’m able to grapple with cancer’s trauma, advocate for myself and help others. And my hope is that this Life After Cancer hub can be a healing resource; a central place through which other survivors can find their voice and begin thriving and soaring in their survivorship journey.”
To learn more about the partnership’s hub, visit partnershipagainstcancer.ca.
