Petition e-5186 Submitted to the House of Commons: What’s next?

We are excited to announce a major milestone in our advocacy efforts: petition e-5186 has officially been submitted to the House of Commons and is now awaiting authorization from Minister of Health, Mark Holland. This is an essential step in pushing for the national guidelines and improved access to care that pancreatic cancer patients urgently need.

Once authorized, the petition will be published on the official House of Commons petitions platformand remain open for 120 days. During this time, every Canadian signature counts to bring this issue to Parliament.

What’s Next? How You Can Help

Here’s how we will continue the fight—and how you can get involved:

 1. Email to Change.org Supporters 📨

 • We will send an email to everyone who supported our Change.org petition, asking them to sign the official e-petition on the House of Commons platform.

 • It’s critical to have supporters transition to the new platform. Only signatures on the House of Commons petition will allow the issue to be formally presented in Parliament.

 2. Goal: 500 Signatures for Formal Presentation in Parliament 🖊️

 • Once we reach 500 signatures, Mark Holland will present the petition to the House of Commons. This ensures our demands for better treatment, access to clinical trials, and financial support for pancreatic cancer patients receive the government’s attention.

What the Petition Asks For

Our petition addresses several critical issues:

 • Limited Access to Clinical Trials: Molecular medicine-focused trials are only available in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Alberta, leaving patients in other provinces with fewer options.

 • Lack of National Guidelines: Without national guidelines, oncologists aren’t actively recommending somatic testing or clinical trials, leaving patients without the best care.

 • Canada’s Low Survival Rate: The 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer in Canada 🇨🇦remains stuck at 10%, demanding immediate improvements to treatment and testing.

 • Need for Government Support: While PANCAN offers Canadians access to the Know Your Tumor program, the Canadian government provides no equivalent support.

 • Adopt Precision Medicine Initiatives: Canada can learn from the U.S. Precision Medicine Initiative, which modernized healthcare through basket and umbrella trials.

 • Financial 💰Barriers to Trials: Patients outside urban centers struggle to participate in trials due to uncovered travel and accommodation costs.

Our Demands to the Government

 • Create National Guidelines for both genetic and somatic testing, ensuring reimbursement for somatic testing.

 • Provide Financial Support for travel and accommodation for patients and caregivers to ensure equitable trial access across Canada.

 • Develop Partnerships with airlines, hotels, and transportation providers to reduce costs for trial participants.

 • Expedite Funding Negotiations for critical drugs like Onivyde by setting clear timelines for decisions and publishing open minutes and timelines.

 • Support the CRAFT Framework and Clinical Trial Modernization to decentralize trials and increase patient access.

How the House of Commons Petition Process Works

 1. Authorization by an MP:

 • Once Mark Holland authorizes the petition, it will be published online. If authorization is denied or delayed, we can ask up to five different MPs to support it.

 2. Clerk Review & Publishing:

 • The petition will be reviewed by the Clerk of Petitions to ensure it meets House of Commons rules. Once approved, it will be published within 5 working days, and an email notification will go out to us.

 3. 120 Days 📆 to Gather Signatures:

 • We’ll have 120 days to gather at least 500 signatures. If successful, the petition will be certified and presented in the House of Commons.

 4. Government Response:

 • If the petition is presented, the government must respond within 45 calendar days. We will notify all signatories by email once the response is tabled.

💜 Why Your Continued Support Matters

We need at least 500 signatures to ensure this petition is formally presented in the House. Your voice is critical to pushing the government to act on the changes pancreatic cancer patients desperately need. Every signature takes us one step closer to better care, national guidelines, and equitable access to trials for all Canadians.

Stay tuned for our email, and please sign the petition when it’s published. Together, we can turn awareness into action and make a real difference in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Let’s make history—sign, share, and support petition e-5186!

Thank you for standing with us.

For questions or updates, contact us at advocacy@heathercutler.ca and follow our journey on social media: @TeamHeatherNL on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and more.