Cancer Treatment in Canada Suck - Colour Me Shocked

So, there's a new Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada study out saying that access to chemotherapy drugs varies widely across the Deranged Dominion. Now, I know this can't be true, since we have single payer universal coverage, and our medical system is the bestest in the whole universe. Certainly better than eeeeevil "two tier, American style health care." At least that's what I read in the Red Star over Toronto. Therefore, treatment is equal, and first rate. The logic is inescapable. Shit.

Snark aside, what the fuck did you expect, geniuses? I blogged about Canadian tiered health care here, but the meat of it is that we have multi-tiered health care, with unequal access to care, based on geography and socio-economic conditions and connections. Why the fuck would cancer treatment be any different than simple access to a GP?

As to cancer treatment, this is the takeaway line:

Want an appointment with a specialist? 7 - 13 weeks. Need treatment? After getting to see the specialist, add another 6 - 16 weeks. Do the math, 3 to 7 months from your GP to specialist treatment. Geez I hope you don't have anything serious, like pancreatic cancer (median survival 3 - 6 months).

Those are averages. Canadian health care IS multi-tiered, and it IS waiting in line. Granted, I didn't mention waiting for new drugs to be approved...oh, wait, yes I did. So the reccomendations from the panel:

• Establishment of a nationwide catastrophic drug strategy to resolve access inadequacies
• Development and implementation of Canada-wide guidelines to speed up access
• Increased research to identify subsets of patients who would best benefit from new therapies
• Introduction of an ongoing evaluation process for new cancer drugs
• Incorporate patient involvement and choice into decision-making

Because:

"People are dying because of the delay in approval by Health Canada for these new drugs," said oncologist Dr. William Hyrniuk of the Cancer Advocacy Coalition.

Ring a little hollow. Welcome to the party, pal, I've been screaming this for years.

America, don't let 0bama do it. Or, at least if you do, don't get cancer.