What World Cancer Day means in Manitoba

Each year, World Cancer Day invites us to reflect not only on the progress we’ve made in cancer care, but on the people behind the statistics. This year’s theme — United by Unique — feels especially meaningful here in Manitoba.

In health care, population health helps us prevent and detect disease earlier, design screening programs, and identify inequities across communities by looking at data from thousands of people. That perspective is essential. Those insights matter because every prevention strategy, every screening result, and every outcome ultimately reaches a single person; cancer is lived one test, one diagnosis, and one decision at a time.

Even when two people are diagnosed with the same disease, their cancer journeys are rarely alike. The course of the illness, the physical effects of treatment, the emotional and spiritual toll, and the impact on family, friends, and caregivers all vary widely. Immediate communities, whether urban neighbourhoods, rural towns, or remote northern regions, shape experiences as well. And for many people, cancer continues to influence their lives long after treatment ends. Remission does not end the cancer experience. Each story remains unique, and each one matters.

That individuality is mirrored in Manitoba. We are a vast province with communities as distinct as the people who live in them. Our geography presents real challenges in ensuring that every cancer patient has access to the same high standard of care, regardless of where they live. We are a province of remarkable cultural diversity.

Language barriers, differing cultural perspectives on illness, and varying levels of trust in healthcare systems, shaped by lived experience and history among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples, as well as by the experiences of newcomers to Canada, can all influence how and when people seek care.

At CancerCare Manitoba, we are continually working to recognize and reduce these barriers.

This starts with listening and with acknowledging that equitable care does not always mean identical care. It means understanding what each person needs to access services safely, respectfully, and with dignity.

The idea of being “United by Unique” applies to the people who deliver cancer care every day. CancerCare Manitoba is made up of physicians, nurses, researchers, frontline staff, administrators, and volunteers. Each team member brings their own skills, perspectives, and experiences to the work. While health care is delivered through teams and systems, excellence depends on individuals feeling heard, supported, and valued.

As CEO, my role is to create the conditions that allow our team members to do their best work. That means listening to understand, removing obstacles where possible, clarifying priorities, and supporting our people so they can focus on what matters most: providing safe, high-quality care to cancer patients across Manitoba. When we take care of those who provide care, patients benefit.

I am optimistic about cancer care today. Survival rates are improving due to earlier diagnosis and detection, along with new treatments and therapies driven by sustained research and innovation. Research conducted at CancerCare Manitoba plays a critical role in bringing emerging knowledge and treatment approaches directly to patients, close to home. The result is that Manitobans are benefiting from advances that are improving cancer outcomes across Canada and beyond.

At the same time, we face real and growing challenges. Healthcare costs continue to rise, and our population is growing and aging. Demand for services is increasing, and resources are finite. Supporting our workforce, ensuring people have what they need to work effectively and safely, is one of the most meaningful ways we can improve patient experience while also getting the greatest value from our healthcare system.

On a personal note, when I first learned of the opportunity to join CancerCare Manitoba, I was immediately interested because of its reputation. Across Canada, CancerCare Manitoba is recognized for the quality of care it provides to patients. That focus on patient-centred care aligns closely with my own professional values. And, as it turns out, the decision was made even easier when my wife said she would move back to Manitoba in a minute.

For a cancer patient and their family and friends — every day is a cancer day. World Cancer Day reminds us that while cancer affects us all, it does so in deeply personal ways. Patients are unique. Communities are unique. The people who care for them are unique. Yet we are united by a shared commitment to compassion, progress, and hope.

As we look ahead, that unity, rooted in understanding and respect for our differences, will continue to guide how we care for every person in every community. By uniting research, education, and compassionate care, we will strengthen cancer care and outcomes for all Manitobans.

Dr. Kent Stobart is the president and CEO of CancerCare Manitoba.