Ottawa Advocate Pushes for Faster Access to Cancer Treatments

John-Peter Bradford is advocating for expedited access to cancer treatments following the loss of his wife, Anne Bachinski-Bradford, to terminal lung cancer in 2013. After doctors provided a grim prognosis of just weeks to live, Bradford leveraged his resources and determination to secure access to experimental drugs, which allowed his wife to survive an additional 16 months, witnessing their daughter’s wedding. This experience galvanized him into action, leading to the establishment of the Life-Saving Therapies Network (LSTN) in collaboration with Dr. David Stewart, her oncologist.

Advocacy for Swift Action in Cancer Treatment

The LSTN has emerged as a prominent voice in Canada, championing faster access to innovative treatments for life-threatening conditions, including cancer and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Dr. Stewart, who has long advocated for improved patient access, highlighted the frustrations faced by oncologists when new therapies remain unavailable despite significant advances in research. He notes, “We have all these great new drugs that we can’t access. It is very frustrating. That is what drives me to keep working on it.”

The urgency of this issue is gaining traction among healthcare professionals and patient advocacy groups. Recently, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, as chair of the Council of the Federation, emphasized the need for Canadians to have timely access to life-saving treatments comparable to what is available elsewhere. In a statement made in March 2024, he asserted, “We owe it to Canadians to do everything we can to give them the same timely access to life-changing treatments as patients in the rest of the world.”

In the most recent federal election, the Liberal Party pledged to “significantly reduce wait times for life-saving medications.” Bradford contends that such promises must be fulfilled, as the current process for drug development, testing, and approval is excessively prolonged. Canada ranks last among G7 nations regarding access to new medications, with many patients waiting years for treatments to be approved and funded by provincial health systems.

Calls for Regulatory Reform

Dr. Stewart’s recent publication, “Why Cancer Still Sucks, and So Does Access to Treatment in Canada,” critiques the bureaucratic hurdles that hinder the availability of new drugs. He argues that the lengthy approval process not only costs lives but also inflates the prices of cancer treatments. “Cancer is responsible for about 30 percent of all deaths in Canada,” he states, calling for an urgent approach to treatment access that mirrors the rapid response seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Life-Saving Therapies Network advocates for reforms in clinical research regulations, suggesting that the current system is cumbersome and inefficient. They propose that patients with terminal illnesses should have access to promising drugs before the completion of clinical trials, provided these treatments have been shown to be safe and effective in initial testing phases. Furthermore, they seek to reduce the waiting period between Health Canada’s approval of a drug and its availability to patients, currently over two years.

“This is an unacceptably long and cruel delay. Every hour matters when someone has a lethal disease or suffers from a debilitating condition,” Bradford emphasizes. The push for change is not just a personal mission; it is a desperate plea for all Canadians facing life-threatening illnesses to receive the treatments they need without unnecessary barriers.

The legacy of Anne Bachinski-Bradford fuels this advocacy, as her brief extension of life allowed her to enjoy precious moments with her family. Bradford recalls her sentiment that it was unfair she was the only one benefiting from his advocacy. Inspired by her wishes, he continues to fight for a system that ensures timely access to life-saving therapies for all patients in Canada.