Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in Canada, with a five-year survival rate of just 10%—and only 3% for those diagnosed at Stage IV. Despite these devastating statistics, inequities in care, delayed access to treatments, and inconsistent support remain systemic challenges. Patients in smaller provinces face even greater hurdles, with limited availability of biomarker testing, specialized care, and the resources needed to navigate the healthcare system.
At The Heather Cutler Foundation, we are committed to establishing national guidelines for pancreatic cancer care to address these disparities. Our goal is to ensure that all Canadians—regardless of their location—have access to equitable, high-quality treatment and support.
Why National Guidelines Are Essential
1. Consistent Standards Across Provinces
Pancreatic cancer care varies greatly by region, with some provinces offering better testing, treatment, and support than others. National guidelines would create a unified standard, ensuring that every patient receives timely and effective care.
2. Equitable Access to Life-Saving Tools
- Biomarker and Germline Testing: Currently, access to these critical diagnostic tools depends on geography and funding. National standards would ensure these tests are available to every patient from diagnosis onward.
- Care Navigators: Families facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis need trusted guides to help them navigate testing, treatment, and support options.
3. Accountability and Patient-Centered Care
- Using patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) and experiences (PREMs), healthcare systems can be held accountable for improving care quality and addressing systemic gaps.
- Multidisciplinary teams must become the norm, providing seamless, collaborative care across specialties.
What We’re Fighting For
1. National Standards for Pancreatic Cancer Care
- Biomarker and Genetic Testing for All: From diagnosis, every patient should have access to these essential tools to guide personalized treatment.
- Multidisciplinary Care Models: Teams of specialists, including oncologists, dieticians, and care navigators, must work together to provide seamless, patient-focused care.
2. Guaranteed Access to Testing
- Federally Funded Biomarker and Germline Testing: No patient should face financial or geographic obstacles to accessing these critical diagnostics.
- Cascade Testing for Families: Testing should extend to at-risk family members to enable early detection and prevention.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Patients need to understand the life-saving potential of genetic testing.
Accountability Is Key
Guidelines alone won’t solve the problem—accountability is essential to drive progress and close gaps in care.
- Data Transparency: Provinces must publicly report biomarker testing rates and adherence to national guidelines.
- Patient-Centered Metrics: PROMs and PREMs must be collected to ensure care quality reflects patient needs and experiences.
- Federal Oversight: A task force must monitor progress, address inequities, and ensure smaller provinces receive adequate resources.
Heather’s Story: Why We Fight
Heather Cutler’s experience revealed the systemic failures that patients across Canada face daily. From missed testing to inequitable access to treatment, her journey highlighted the urgent need for national pathways to ensure no patient is left behind. Our work is her legacy—a mission to create a future where every Canadian has a fighting chance against pancreatic cancer.
The time for action is now. With your support, we can turn these pathways into progress and deliver life-saving reforms for Canadians living with pancreatic cancer.