About 50,000 Canadians have died since the COVID-19 pandemic began three years ago. In that same time frame, about 250,000 Canadians have died of cancer.

These cancer deaths were not reported in live-broadcast daily press briefings or tallied up on TV graphics and websites. They just happened – as they have for decades – in the background of our busy lives.

This past year may well have been the worst year for cancer deaths in Canada due to the widespread disruptions to cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and surgeries during the pandemic.

And things aren’t getting any better. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, one in four patients continue to experience cancelled or postponed appointments.

Many lives could be prolonged or spared if Canadian leaders collectively take urgent action to address the gaps in screening, diagnosis, treatment, and surgery resulting from both the deterioration of our healthcare systems in recent years and the interruptions in cancer care systems from the pandemic.

For this reason, we are asking Premiers to put the new federal health funding to work to boost investments in cancer care.