February 4, 2025 – Cancer touches nearly all Canadian lives at some point or another, whether through a personal diagnosis – approaching half (45%) will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetimes – or experiencing it second-hand through a friend or family member.

However, there remains an underreported burden of the disease – the financial costs of cancer treatment that occur despite Canada’s public health-care system.

New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society finds one-quarter (23%) of Canadians diagnosed with cancer reporting they faced “substantial out-of-pocket costs”, which caused difficulties making ends meet.

One-in-five (21%) say it was difficult to pay