Bold progress in cancer prevention
Treatment: Instead of the almighty pursuit of a cure, the emphasis is more on personalized care
As an army of dedicated volunteers fans out across the province for our annual April Daffodil Month campaign and bright yellow pins sprout on lapels everywhere, I am packing up my desk to retire from my position as CEO at the Canadian Cancer Society at the end of the month.
The cancer paradigm has evolved remarkably since I arrived 22 years ago.
It used to be very medically focused, acute-care oriented. We used to think, “Let’s find the cure.” As time has gone on, we’ve understood there is no single cure, that cancer is not one single disease.
With this understanding, genomic researchers have achieved scientific breakthroughs that will lead to more targeted and personalized treatments. Twenty years ago, we weren’t able to predict, as well as we can today, which patients would benefit from certain treatments and which ones wouldn’t. We now know that some tests and treatments are largely ineffective and some expensive drugs are administered to patients with dubious value and debilitating side-effects. We still have a tremendous amount of work to do in this area — work that I believe needs to happen even more quickly in order to benefit those battling cancer — but the progress we’ve made over two decades is undebatable.
Twenty-two years ago people still smoked in cars with their kids, on school property, workplaces, bars and restaurants. Youth were legally allowed to use tanning beds and beach-goers rarely protected their skin from the sun.
Twenty-two someone said years ago if lack of sleep contributed to cancer, it would be deemed quackery. So much has changed.
Today, we know about half of all cancers can be prevented. We know smoking is the No. 1 preventable cause of cancer. We’ve successfully advocated for smoking bans on school property, in cars with passengers under the age of 16 and in public places — including workplaces, bars and restaurants.
We have been successful in achieving municipal bans in 65 communities across B.C. on smoking in parks, beaches, playgrounds and patios. We worked with government to reduce skin cancer rates by banning use of tanning beds for anyone under the age of 18. We know more British Columbians are practising sun protection behaviour because they understand the relationship between UV exposure and cancer. We recently provided funding to support a UBC study into how improved sleep habits can reduce the risk of breast cancer in women working night shifts.
These are a few of the significant wins that will save lives.
We can all be proud that people now understand they have the power to reduce their cancer risk. If we give them information about things they can do, they can help create a healthier future for themselves and their families.
Governments now know they have the power to make healthy choices easier choices for more people. We think by the year 2040, we will be able to get survival rates up from about 63 per cent to 80 per cent. But even if we could have 100 per cent survival, isn’t it better to not get cancer in the first place?
As I retire, I am inevitably asked where I think the society will head next.
Of course, providing support programs for those facing cancer will always be an integral part of our mission, but a key area needing even more emphasis is cancer prevention. We need to be persistent — in our public education around cancer risks, our advocacy to government for policies protecting Canadians and our funding of research that is more prevention focused. We need to be working as a country, rather than in silos, and need to support innovation and multidisciplinary collaboration.
The way to honour those we have lost, those who are fighting and those who will face cancer, is to stop cancer before it ever starts.
Twenty-two years ago I received a call from a recruiter. I remember it vividly.
The existing head of the Canadian Cancer Society in B.C. and Yukon was leaving after, coincidentally, 22 years on the job. I remember thinking, “Surely I would never stay that long.” I was in a pattern of working about five years in a job, craving a new challenge and then moving on. Now, I look at the boxes in my office, with 22 years of memories in them, and I can’t help but smile. I am so grateful to have been a small part of the ever-changing cancer landscape and I leave with great hope for the future.