Cancer care advocates call for major improvements in a letter to new B.C. health minister

Phil Harbridge speaks to CTV News about his cancer diagnosis. (CTV News)

In 2018, Phil Harbridge noticed his health deteriorating rapidly.

“Why am I so tired? I was doing a lot of running,” said Harbridge. “Why was I out of breath?”

The White Rock native made multiple trips to the hospital and was initially diagnosed with anemia. However, his health continued to worsen.

After several months and more testing, Harbridge was diagnosed with myeloma.

“Prior to my diagnosis, I knew I was going to die. I just didn't know when. And, now that I have a diagnosis, I know I'm going to die,” said Harbridge. “I still don’t know when, but it’s a lot shorter timeframe.”

Harbridge received stem cell treatment at Vancouver General Hospital. He praised doctors and staff for their hard work, but says he noticed flaws in the system.

“We need access," he said. "We need it approved yesterday, not five years from now.”

He tells CTV News he had to push for the use of Pomalidomide, which – at the time – wasn’t allowed in B.C. for certain uses.

“My oncologist said, 'Well, it's not approved in B.C. for maintenance therapy yet.' And I said, 'Yeah, could we ask? Could we just reach out and ask and BC Cancer and so forth?' And he did, and they approved it,” said Harbridge, adding that the process of early cancer detection needs to be improved.

Harbridge is now in remission.

Dr. Martin Daws, head of family practice at UBC, also believes systemic change is needed.

“At the moment, it's taking four or five weeks to see an oncologist for a patient who's suspected of having cancer,” said Daws, also a cancer survivor. “Care in British Columbia is good, but it needs to be improved.”

According to the advocacy group Cancer Action Now, it takes nearly another six weeks to receive treatment, about twice as long as the Canadian average.

Cancer Action Now recently released a letter addressing new leadership in the B.C. Health Ministry.

The group calls for the province to enhance its 10-year Cancer Action Plan with "expedited investments in improving wait times."

In an email to CTV News, the Health Ministry says it has made progress in cancer care since launching the 10-year plan in 2023.

The ministry listed highlights of the plan including the hiring of 71 oncologists from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. The province says it also hired 32 additional radiation therapists and 8 Indigenous patient navigators across all BC Cancer regional centres.

The ministry adds that it has also increased its delivery of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and provided more medical oncology and radiation oncology consultations compared to 2023.