Breast cancer survivor, health-care expert call on Sask. government to share surgeon recruitment plan

A breast cancer survivor and a veteran Saskatchewan health-care expert want the province to be transparent about its plan for dealing with a projected demand for breast cancer surgeries in Regina — and specifically, what progress it's making on recruiting specialized surgeons.

In October, CBC Saskatchewan reported that potential cancer patients in Regina were waiting months for breast biopsies. One woman, who had two lumps and a history of breast cancer in her family, waited about 15 weeks for a biopsy. She was initially told that the normal waiting period is two weeks. 

In late November, the province announced an out-of-province breast cancer diagnostic procedures initiative. It is contracting Clearpoint — a private health company in Calgary — until March 2025 to offer 1,000 scans to eligible Saskatchewan patients on an urgent wait list.

It's a welcome short-term solution for many, but there is more to be done, advocates say.

"Now that all these women are now able to go to Calgary — which I think is totally wonderful, and I'd like to thank the government for doing that — they're going to come back to Saskatchewan, and many are going to need to see a surgeon," said Cheryl Harvey, a breast cancer survivor and advocate in Regina. 

In a statement to CBC in November, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency said that in 2018, there were seven surgeons in Regina who performed surgeries for breast cancer patients.

Of these, four are still practising in Regina, two now focus on other surgical specialities and one has retired, the agency said.

A Friday statement from the Saskatchewan Health Authority said one of the four surgeons practising in Regina is expected to go on temporary leave.

"Now we're going to be backlogged for those surgeries," said Harvey, who recently got surgery for her cancer. "That's my concern. So now, again, we will have the lives of women waiting."

Harvey was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. In August of this year she had an irregular mammogram result. She waited five and a half weeks for her biopsy, despite being a cancer survivor and having been monitored by the Allan Blair Cancer Centre at Regina's Pasqua Hospital for over a decade.

Harvey was once again diagnosed with breast cancer. She said she was lucky enough to get surgery for the cancer in mid-November. 

"I'm praying to God that a lot of those [out-of-province] biopsies come back negative," she said. 

"But if there is this increase of surgeries needed, are these women going to get the same care and attention that I got? That worries me. We need more people that specialize in these surgeries."

Working on breast surgery plan: SHA

The Saskatchewan Health Authority told CBC on Friday that it and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency have developed recruitment and retention strategies and are working with the provincial health-care recruitment agency to fill vacancies.

The health authority said it also performs breast cancer surgeries in locations outside of Regina and is exploring options where these surgeries are performed to "ensure timely access."

The authority was unable to provide the names of those locations by end of day Friday. 

Meanwhile, the SHA said there are active efforts in the Regina area to recruit two general surgeons who have completed a breast fellowship or have an interest in breast care. 

For now, surgeries are "prioritized based on highest risk as we maximize the availability of operating rooms to keep up with demands," the health authority said.

When asked how it determines which patients are at highest risk, the authority was not able to provide an answer before publication.

It said it is working with the Ministry of Health and local surgeons to streamline processes to ensure breast cancer patients have timely access to surgical intervention.

It also said the province is "immediately investing in additional lab resources and technology to support the timely interpretation of biopsy results."

Recruitment pressure

The health authority also said recruitment and retention of surgeons who perform breast surgeries is a top priority, acknowledging that "any delay in access can lead to anxiety for patients and their families."

Dr. Dennis Kendel, a health-care policy consultant and retired doctor, takes issue with that statement. 

"Well of course it causes anxiety. But it also can decrease your likelihood of cure and survival," he said. 

A delay in treating a malignancy could mean it's no longer curable, said Kendel.

"They're sort of softpedalling, I think, what the impact is of this."

Meanwhile, Kendel said the province's recently created health-care recruitment agency has limited resources, which concerns him as it faces mounting recruitment pressure.

The recruitment agency was established in 2022 as an independent Treasury Board Crown Corporation, according to the province.

Kendel, who was registrar of Saskatchewan's College of Physicians and Surgeons from 1986 to 2011, said the new recruitment agency has a fraction of the staff previous health-care personnel recruitment agencies had. 

"They are the agency expected to handle all the recruitment for not just doctors but for the other health-care personnel. So I do think the overall recruitment process is underfunded and under-resourced," said Kendel. 

He also said that if the health authority and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency have developed recruitment and retention strategies, those should be shared with the public. 

Communication improvement needed

In the meantime, Harvey said the province's health minister must continuously be held accountable for how Saskatchewan is handling delays in breast cancer diagnoses and treatment.

She wants the province to clearly communicate how many women are being sent to Calgary for breast biopsies, and update the public on all progress to address backlogs. 

"What's the next step now? Are we going to have these women waiting three, four or five months before they can have their surgery?" 

No woman should have to go through those kinds of delays, said Harvey.

"That is the torture, the waiting."