A specialist told Anne her cancer was inoperable. She is alive today only by luck and perseverance.

Read about Anne’s experience without Right Choice Critical Illness Insurance.

At 42, Anne was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Anne had to wait 4 weeks for each procedure and then another week or two in both cases to see the specialist again and get her results.

Total elapsed time, 16 weeks.

After the biopsy, the specialist told Anne that she had lung cancer. Divorced with no children and family several provinces away, Anne was left to cope with the news alone.

The specialist ordered blood tests and a CT scan next. Anne had the tests and scan and returned for her next appointment.

Total elapsed time, 20 weeks.

After 5 months of tests, Anne was told her cancer had reached an inoperable stage. Her only option was chemotherapy. Though she asked many questions, she couldn’t get solid answers on how much the chemo would slow down the cancer.

There’s something else the doctor didn’t say. CT scans mis-stage 20 percent of lung cancers. One in 10 CT scans mis-stages operable cancer as having spread to the lymph nodes, or other sites, making it inoperable. Another 1 in 10 fails to detect cancer that has already spread. These indicate the cancer is operable, when in fact it’s not.

Anne feels she’s alive today only because of a fortunate coincidence. At a baby shower for her niece, she met a nurse who explained the effectiveness of PET scans. About to start chemo and at an emotional low, Anne felt her first glimmer of hope in weeks.

Anne went home and Googled PET scans. She booked one in Buffalo, NY for 3 days later.

Taking her health into her own hands, Anne found a technology that would have avoided a bronchoscopy or needle biopsy, and is capable of detecting cancer better than a CT scan. And she achieved this in just days for $2,600 of her own money.

Anne also received good news. The PET scan indicated the cancer had not reached her lymph nodes.

Anne was proud and relieved, but her ordeal wasn’t over. When her specialist saw the scan results, Anne thought she would book her surgery, but instead she wanted Anne to go ahead with the chemo.

Anne found another thoracic surgeon, who reviewed the scan and biopsy results and agreed to
operate. A year later, she is cancer-free.

Anne was lucky. But how many other Canadians will be this lucky?

In the end, Anne had lost her faith in our health care system.

Anne’s story is a composite of many factual patient case histories.