An Edmonton woman fears her cancer treatments have been caught up in ongoing surgical delays in Alberta.
“The 20th of September, my doctor called to say the cancer had returned.”
A mammogram confirmed Irene Fraser’s worst fear, the breast cancer she had beaten twice before, was back.
The Edmonton mother and grandmother, is now waiting to see a surgeon but says the timelines she’s now looking at are longer than the previous two times she was diagnosed with cancer.
“On both occasions, bang I had an appointment, secondly I had surgery, and it was just really very quick, like less than a month,” said Fraser.
But this time, Fraser was told staffing issues pushed her initial consult with a surgeon to December 19th — three months after diagnosis.
The Alberta Medical Association says surgical wait times continue to be an issue in Alberta. Provincial data show as of September, 40 per cent of those on the wait list are outside the target window.
“We are seeing an escalation in wait times for breast cancer patients,” explained Dr. Natalie Logie, the President-Elect of the AMA Section of Radiation Oncology.
Dr. Logie says she’s noticed the timelines to see a radiologist of oncologist after surgery is also increasing. Data showing the number of oncologists in Alberta has not kept up with population growth.
“We have reported concerns as a group of oncologists, that we’ve noticed the wait times are going up and we are feeling more and more burnt out by the workload we are having,” said Dr. Logie.
As of November 1st, Alberta Health Service (AHS) has completed 9% more cancer surgeries than the year before. But still, admit there is more work to do.
“We know we can do better,” says AHS spokesperson Kerry Williamson in a statement to CityNews.
“We are currently recruiting for positions throughout cancer care including oncologists, medical physics, nursing, and radiation therapy. Recruiting and retaining frontline healthcare staff is a challenge nationally, and not unique to Alberta.”
When it comes to breast cancer delays in the Edmonton Zone, AHS says they are expanding resources with all referrals are triaged and prioritized by the Comprehensive Breast Care Program (CBCP) clinic.
Fraser is speaking out, to highlight the need for change in the system for all current and future cancer patients.
“I have two daughters, who survived breast cancer. I have a mother who died of breast cancer as well,” she explained. “I have three grandchildren who are female, and I’m concerned for all of them. In the time that it is taking for this system to get righted.”
With a family history of breast cancer, she wants the best treatments for all Albertans.
Fraser and her daughter are reminding women to be diligent about proactive health checks like mammograms.
“That’s even more important now because once you do see someone, you are looking at a long wait,” said Janelle Dane, Irene’s daughter.
“But when I went through, and when I watched my mom go through it the first two times, I felt confident in the system, and that was the difference.”