I'm a cancer scientist, and the state of our health-care system worries me

This column is an opinion by Sevtap Savas, a cancer scientist in St. John's. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.

Our health-care system has some serious issues.

We desperately, and increasingly, need resources to bring health-care services to our residents — and that includes making sure they have access to the right information about cancer services.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in this country, with around 85,000 Canadians being projected to die because of it in 2021. 

Among all Canadian provinces, the highest rate of cancer is in Newfoundland and Labrador.

This is the bad news.

Around 4,000 new patients are diagnosed with cancer each year in our province, and we know that we should work hard to reduce cancer's effects on our population.

The good news is we have access to medical knowledge and services that may help prevention efforts, and the overall health of our population.

But people need to know how to find those services, and we need to improve accessibility.

As a cancer scientist, that's part of what I'm working to improve —  the well-being and life experiences of cancer patients and families in Newfoundland and Labrador.

I work with students, scientists, and clinicians. I partner with cancer patients and their family members in research studies and public engagement activities. I talk at public events, I talk to the media, and in every piece of my work, I try to give cancer patients the information they need to make a difference in their lives.

There has been a gap in understanding the lived experience of people with cancer. Sometimes they can't find information on important health-related matters and services. These are among the key issues that cancer patients and family members bring to our attention. 

They want solutions.

We need to connect members of the public, cancer-affected families, health-care providers and leaders, and researchers in conversations on cancer.