Increasing access to cancer care for racialized people in Alberta

Racialized people in Canada are more likely to face challenges accessing cancer screenings and more commonly receive late cancer diagnoses. As a result, these communities often have higher death rates compared to Canadians of European descent. This is why Dr Anna Santos Salas is leading a team that will increase access to cancer care for racialized people in Alberta. And through this research, she also hopes to contribute to future policy development, to achieve a greater understanding of the importance of equity of health care across Canada.

When she was very young, Dr Santos Salas experienced the untimely loss of her mother from cancer. However, this loss set her on a path for a long career. Not only did she pursue a career in cancer research as a result - she also worked in palliative care as a Registered Nurse. For Dr Santos Salas, this combined first-hand experience proved to be invaluable. And it continued to motivate her throughout her research career.

Over time, she began to feel there was a greater need to create spaces that represent the mindset that cancer care can respond to anyone’s uniqueness. When designing services, taking into account the ethnocultural and racial identities of people who are diagnosed, to her, is vital for improving the entire Canadian care system.

“We are all touched by cancer one way or another and thus a collective effort is needed to promote discovery, recovery, high- quality care, and equity. I hope that in the near future more people can access diagnosis and treatment, live longer in good health, and no longer be afraid of cancer. My research team embodies the understanding that “it takes a society to take on cancer” by engaging a wider range of stakeholders in the community, cancer care, and academic sectors. Together, we hope to have an influential impact on how we understand and promote equity in cancer care.”

With funding from a Canadian Cancer Society’s Health Equity Research Grant, Dr Santos Salas is working with patient partners and community groups. Together, they will help identify barriers to cancer care for racialized people in Alberta of Black African, Latin American, and South Asian descent. She will then develop programs to help people affected by cancer overcome these barriers to improve their health outcomes.

The variety of experiences that Dr Santos Salas has observed throughout her cancer research so far, she says, have been very alarming. Even with access to services, challenges to receiving care that people face often include having a lack of trust, experiences of racism and discrimination and feeling unsafe when accessing healthcare. People may even fear being offered support that does not align with their wishes as well as those of friends and family. However, Dr Santos Salas is optimistic about the changes that her research can bring forward.

We unfortunately see members of racialized communities overrepresented in people from low socioeconomic statuses and higher unemployment rates. So, we know they are suffering probably a greater burden in that regard. I think we have capacity to make a difference.

Dr Santos Salas hopes that those who donate to move cancer research forward know that they can make lasting positive changes for underserved communities. And through working together for a shared vision of a better future, their support can make us all better people and a better society.