TORONTO - Ontario residents have a better chance of beating cancer than anywhere else in the world, a new report says.
The 2011 Cancer System Quality Index released Wednesday shows Ontario’s five-year survival rates for lung, ovary, colorectal and breast cancer matched benchmarks from the U.K., Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Australia and New Zealand from 1995-2007, particularly in the first year following diagnosis.
“Ontario has a very good performance in survival rates compared with other jurisdictional comparisons and international benchmarks,” said Dr. Robert Bell, chairman of the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario. “If you live in Ontario and get cancer you have on of the best chances of survival anywhere in the world.”
The report highlighted colorectal cancer and found its survival rates improved from a 57% five-year survival rate seven years ago for Ontario to 65% currently, thanks to better screening and treatment.
But the other 35% of colorectal cancer patients who should not be dying since colon cancer is 100% preventable with early screening, Bell said.
The report found Ontario has gone from lagging behind in radiation treatment to leading provincially across Canada.
“Ten years ago we were sending patients to Buffalo and Rochester for radiation treatments,” Bell said. “Now, more than 80% of Ontario cancer patients are receiving radiation treatment within four weeks of diagnosis, which is the best wait time anywhere in the country.”
Another key finding involved how surgery outcomes for cancer patients in Ontario has improved. This has been aided by sending experienced surgeons to train other surgeons to perform more effective surgeries at Ontario’s 14 cancer treatment centres.
There has also been better integration of services when patients are handed-off seamlessly and reducing wait times from surgery to chemotherapy to radiation.
This advance has made chemotherapy safe and has reduced human error. About 50% of Ontario cancer patients are now using this computerized doctor order entry system, he said,
However, there are still gaps in the system, Bell said.
He cited prevention screening and cancer centres providing emotional support as areas for improvement because only 53% of cancer patients treated in ambulatory care settings rated emotional support as satisfactory, he said.
The 2011 Cancer System Quality Index released Wednesday shows Ontario’s five-year survival rates for lung, ovary, colorectal and breast cancer matched benchmarks from the U.K., Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Australia and New Zealand from 1995-2007, particularly in the first year following diagnosis.
“Ontario has a very good performance in survival rates compared with other jurisdictional comparisons and international benchmarks,” said Dr. Robert Bell, chairman of the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario. “If you live in Ontario and get cancer you have on of the best chances of survival anywhere in the world.”
The report highlighted colorectal cancer and found its survival rates improved from a 57% five-year survival rate seven years ago for Ontario to 65% currently, thanks to better screening and treatment.
But the other 35% of colorectal cancer patients who should not be dying since colon cancer is 100% preventable with early screening, Bell said.
The report found Ontario has gone from lagging behind in radiation treatment to leading provincially across Canada.
“Ten years ago we were sending patients to Buffalo and Rochester for radiation treatments,” Bell said. “Now, more than 80% of Ontario cancer patients are receiving radiation treatment within four weeks of diagnosis, which is the best wait time anywhere in the country.”
Another key finding involved how surgery outcomes for cancer patients in Ontario has improved. This has been aided by sending experienced surgeons to train other surgeons to perform more effective surgeries at Ontario’s 14 cancer treatment centres.
There has also been better integration of services when patients are handed-off seamlessly and reducing wait times from surgery to chemotherapy to radiation.
This advance has made chemotherapy safe and has reduced human error. About 50% of Ontario cancer patients are now using this computerized doctor order entry system, he said,
However, there are still gaps in the system, Bell said.
He cited prevention screening and cancer centres providing emotional support as areas for improvement because only 53% of cancer patients treated in ambulatory care settings rated emotional support as satisfactory, he said.
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