Health system funding

Futureproofing Cancer Care in Canada

The Situation

Today, nearly 2 in 5 Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and the costs associated with cancer continue to rise. At the same time, Canada's population is aging and the number of cancer cases is projected to increase significantly in the coming decades. To meet these challenges, Canada needs long-term health system investments that strengthen cancer prevention, improve early detection, support innovation and ensure people can access high-quality cancer care. The Canadian Cancer Society is advocating for health system funding that not only maintains essential healthcare services but also prepares Canada's cancer system for the coming storm.

Why action is needed

Cancer is already one of the most significant health and economic challenges facing Canada.

Cancer costs Canada an estimated $37.7 billion in 2024. (Download 2024 special report on the economic impact of cancer in Canada).
People with cancer and their caregivers shoulder an estimated $7.5 billion of those costs.
The average person diagnosed with cancer faces approximately $33,000 in lifetime out-of-pocket costs.
Cancer cases are projected to increase by 40% and cancer deaths by 44% between 2020 and 2040.
Cancer management costs are projected to rise from $20.6 billion in 2020 to $31.4 billion in 2040. (link to this article)

Canadians are ready. Cancer care can be too.

The Canadian Cancer Society supports measures that strengthen Canada's healthcare system while addressing the growing burden of cancer.

Stabilize Canada Health Transfer funding

CCS supports continued, predictable growth in federal health transfers to provinces and territories and calls for the annual 5% Canada Health Transfer growth rate to continue beyond 2027-28.

Stable funding will help provinces and territories maintain health services, improve access to care and address workforce and capacity challenges.

Continue existing bilateral health agreements

CCS supports maintaining existing federal-provincial-territorial health funding agreements that have expired or will expire in the immediate future. They address shared health priorities and improve care across the country. These include:

The Working Together Agreements - Expired March 2026
The Aging with Dignity Bilateral Agreements – Expiring March 2028
The National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases bilateral agreements – Expiring March 2027

These investments are important to supporting the healthcare system people with or will be diagnosed with cancer rely on every day.

Dedicated Funding for Cancer Care

CCS is calling for dedicated funding for cancer care to help Canada prepare for future cancer challenges and improve outcomes for people affected by cancer. This would align with the priorities the federal government committed to in the recent communiqué it issued alongside other G7 countries.

We believe funding should provide targeted investments equivalent to approximately 1% of the annual Canada Health Transfer, or about $575 million per year at current funding levels.

Delivering better outcomes

Dedicated funding for cancer care would create benefits for people, health systems and the economy.

For people in Canada
Targeted cancer investments would help:

Prevent more cancers.
Increase access to timely diagnosis and treatment.
Improve equity and reduce disparities in cancer care across the country.

For healthcare systems
Investments would help:

Improve health system planning and decision-making through better data.
Support more efficient use of resources.
Accelerate the adoption of new technologies and innovations.

For the economy
Investments would help:

Reduce the losses in productivity associated with someone taking time away for treatment for cancer or for caring for someone with cancer.
Lower long-term healthcare costs to government and to people by preventing cancer and detecting it earlier.
Support Canada's growing health sciences and innovation sectors.

Supporting Canada's global commitments

In 2026, Canada joined other G7 countries in committing to accelerate the fight against cancer through stronger prevention, earlier detection, improved access to quality care, greater equity and enhanced data sharing and research collaboration.

The Cancer Care Impact Fund would help Canada turn these commitments into action by supporting investments that improve cancer outcomes and strengthen the resilience of our healthcare system.

Help amplify the voices of people affected by cancer

Changing public policy is one of the most effective tools for preventing cancer and helping those affected by it.

With just $5 from people like you, we can continue to connect government decision-makers with thousands of patients and caregivers to make cancer care better, everywhere in Canada.

If everyone reading this gave just $5, we could achieve our goal this month to fund transformative advocacy, the most promising research, and reliable cancer information and support. Please give today. Thank you.