a voice and a choice: canadians with cancer are looking for care that fits within their lives
‘it’s always a shared decision,’ says dr. joel claveau, a dermatologist who develops cancer treatment plans that minimize care-related disruptions to daily life
published aug 25, 2026
4 minute read
4 minute read
skin cancer survivor marie-Ève richard-tougas believes informed conversations can help patients feel that even though they live with cancer, they may have a choice that can shape their care journey — not just medically, but personally. john kenney
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save your skin foundation
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
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marie-ève richard-tougas was just 24 when she was first diagnosed with skin cancer. after the cancer was removed, she was monitored over the next 10 years. eventually, cancer became something she believed was firmly in her past.
she had built the life she had always envisioned: raising two children with her husband, running a successful photography business on montreal’s south shore and filling her days with family, work and creative projects.
“life was sweet,” she recalls. “everything was lighter.”
that changed in 2021, when she learned the cancer had returned and spread to her lymph nodes. “it scared me,” she says. “i truly thought i was safe from cancer.”
almost overnight, cancer became much more than a medical diagnosis. it reshaped every aspect of her life, forcing her to not only navigate surgery and a year of treatment, but also step away from the business she had spent 12 years building, and confront the uncertainty that accompanies every scan, appointment and test result that would follow.
the logistical burden of cancer care
“the word ‘cancer’ truly shakes up every aspect of your life,” says richard-tougas. “your finances, your relationship, your family life, everything.”
while the physical effects of cancer are well recognized, the practical burden of treatment is often less visible or taken into consideration. organizing transportation, taking time away from work, arranging childcare and spending hours travelling to and from appointments is typically part of patients’ routines for months or even years. it can feel overwhelming when someone is already facing the unthinkable.
for richard-tougas, the difference between receiving treatment at home and in hospital brought those realities into sharp focus.
her first therapy involved taking oral medication twice a day at home. while the treatment itself fit more easily into daily life, the side effects were significant. “i couldn’t do anything at all, even light housecleaning, without quickly hitting a wall,” she says.
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later, when the cancer had spread to her lungs, richard-tougas began intravenous treatment every three weeks at a hospital roughly 30 minutes from home. this involved blood tests several days beforehand, travel time back and forth, hours waiting at the hospital and uncertainty about how she would feel afterward.
between appointments, life continued moving at full speed. richard-tougas’ young daughters still needed to get to school. household routines had to continue. friends and family adjusted their schedules around hers, while she and her husband balanced treatment with work and parenting responsibilities. “everything had to be reorganized around the disease and receiving treatment,” she says.
finding a treatment approach that fits
for canadians like richard-tougas, those realities underscore an important message. some cancer treatments can be effectively delivered in different ways, so knowledge of what options may be available and talking openly with a health-care team about how treatment fits into daily life can make a meaningful difference.
those conversations are at the heart of my cancer, my choice, a patient-led awareness campaign designed to help canadians understand that, for some cancers and treatments, there may be different ways their treatment can be delivered.
“in terms of treatment options, a lot has changed over the past decade,” says dr. joel claveau, a quebec-based dermatologist specializing in skin cancer care. according to dr. claveau, not only have advances in skin cancer treatment dramatically improved outcomes, but progress has also extended to how some therapies are delivered.
for eligible patients, treatment decisions increasingly consider not only clinical evidence but also lifestyle, work, family responsibilities and personal preferences. “we evaluate the best option in collaboration with each patient,” he says. “it’s always a shared decision.”
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dr. claveau explains that, depending on the cancer, treatment and individual circumstances, medicine may be administered through intravenous (iv) infusion, oral medication or, in some cases, subcutaneous injection beneath the skin.
he is quick to add that while not every option is appropriate for every patient or every cancer, “we like to see patients maintain their daily lives while they follow their treatment, and sometimes we need to adapt to their situations.”
shared decision-making puts patients at the forefront
a collaborative approach to treatment represents a significant shift from years past, says kathy barnard, founder of save your skin foundation, who was diagnosed with advanced melanoma more than two decades ago.
at the time, treatment options were limited, and patients often had little guidance navigating the system. “nobody was walking us through the process,” she recalls. “it was just, ‘this is all we’ve got.’”
today, save your skin encourages patients to ask questions, learn about their options and become active participants in decisions about their care. “we know that patient outcomes are better if we have a voice and a choice, and we have support through this journey,” says barnard. “that’s why we have so many more patients surviving; we’re helping them navigate that system.”
for richard-tougas, learning to ask questions became part of reclaiming a sense of control during an otherwise emotionally exhausting experience. “let others help you and don’t be afraid to ask questions,” she says. “take the time to accept your new reality.”
although cancer remains unpredictable, she believes informed conversations can help patients feel more prepared for the journey ahead — not just medically, but personally.
“no two cancer patients live the same life, but they all have families and communities,” says barnard. “this is why treatment needs to fit within their lives.”
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to learn more about treatment delivery approaches that may be available and how to start a conversation with your health-care team, visit mycancermychoice.ca.
this story was created by healthing content works, healthing.ca’s commercial content division, on behalf of the save your skin foundation.
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