Calgary cancer patients lose access to oncology help line

A Calgarian suffering from terminal cancer is calling on the province’s health officials to restore access to a specialist phone line for cancer patients in southern Alberta after hours.

Natalie Quadrans has been in and out of the hospital since she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2019.

When she had medical concerns on evenings or weekends several times in the past, she used the on-call oncologist line through the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Center (a facility that serves all of southern Alberta).

But last week, after getting home from her latest hospital stay, which included more than 30 hours in the ER, she learned that option no longer existed.

Cancer patients are now being directed to Health Link for help.

“It’s very concerning because this is something my life depends on,” Quadrans said.

The mother of two was treated with angioplasty after two enlarged lymph nodes compressed the main vein carrying blood back to her heart from her lower body.

Several days after being sent home, he developed worrying symptoms late at night.

Quadrans was unsure what to do, so she tried calling the on-call oncologist line listed on the information card provided through the cancer center.

But she was unable to get in touch and was eventually told that the service had stopped.

“I’m a little surprised by the fact that it’s been removed so quietly,” Quadrans said, adding that the on-call line has saved him many trips to the ER over the years.

In the past, he said, after-hours oncologists handled prescriptions that were urgently needed outside of clinic hours.

They have helped her determine whether her condition requires a trip to the emergency room, she said, noting that at times she has been advised to stay home because her symptoms are expected.

She said, “I don’t have years and years ahead of me. I’m now taking chemotherapy for the rest of my life. My life is too short.”

“The last place I want to be is in the hospital because I can’t get access to an oncologist on call.”

Health agency says make changes to align with Edmonton

Acute Care Alberta said Health Link took over responsibility for out-of-hours symptom management for patients at the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Center on Dec. 2, 2025.

Health Link is the province’s 24-hour health information telephone line, staffed by registered nurses.

“This change is consistent with the approach already in place at the Cross Cancer Institute to ensure alignment across provincial cancer care services,” Acute Care Alberta (ACA) spokesperson Vanessa Gomez said in an email statement.

This change applies to all oncology specialties.

According to the ACA, which oversees Cancer Care Alberta, this system has been in place for patients at Edmonton’s Cross Cancer Institute for several years.

The protocol has been reviewed and endorsed by oncologists and hematologists, Gomez said.

“Cancer Care Alberta has worked with Health Link to ensure they have the information and tools to support patients’ health concerns outside of clinic hours.”

This move is not going down well with the advocacy group Friends of Medicare.

“This is a service that was helping people in Calgary. Just because a different city doesn’t have it doesn’t mean it should be cut,” said executive director Chris Galloway.

“We know this will put more pressure on our emergency rooms. But it will also create more gaps in cancer care and more stress for patients.”

Gallaway said he believes the provincial government should prioritize services that can reduce pressure on overwhelmed ERs.

“Every program we can do that keeps someone out of the emergency waiting room, we should do it right now,” Galloway said.

“We shouldn’t be saying we’re synchronizing programs across the province and there are cuts being made.”

He is asking health officials to share more details about why the change was made and to justify the decision.

CBC News reached out to the offices of ministers Matt Jones, who is responsible for hospitals, and Adriana LaGrange, who is in charge of primary and preventive health services.

Neither office responded to CBC’s questions before deadline.

For his part, Quadrans is concerned that Health Link staff don’t have the specialized expertise needed to help cancer patients.

“In my opinion, given the level of expertise we’re going through, they’re not the right tools or the right team to assess oncology patients,” he said.

Because of her weakened immune system, Quadrans is worried she’ll go to the ER unnecessarily and could be exposed to infectious diseases while waiting.

“I’m already struggling to survive and then I’m being forced to go and experience that? From a humanitarian perspective I think there’s a case to be made (for an on-call line).”

He believes the program potentially also makes sense economically.

According to Gomez, Acute Care Alberta is asking people to identify themselves as a current patient at the cancer center when they call 811 so nurses can provide “the most appropriate advice.”

He said Health Link interactions will be shared with the patient’s medical team, but people with serious or emergent concerns should be seen in the emergency room.