Ontario woman with Stage 4 colon cancer has life-saving surgery postponed indefinitely
A 30-year-old Ontario woman diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer has had her surgery postponed indefinitely and says it could be too late to save her if the procedure keeps getting pushed back.
Woodbridge, Ont. woman Cassandra Di Maria was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 and has undergone 17 rounds of chemotherapy since then.
"Now, I'm waiting on my next big surgery," Di Maria told CTV News Toronto on Thursday. "I have no idea when this surgery will happen and I'm at a standstill."
In order to undergo the surgery, doctors told Di Maria in late October she needed to stop chemotherapy for a few weeks so her body would be strong enough to handle the procedure, which was originally scheduled for December.
She said in December she received a notice saying the surgery was being postponed to January, and then later was told that date was cancelled too.
In an e-mail viewed by CTV News Toronto, a representative from Mount Sinai Hospital told Di Maria her surgery was cancelled because of "the situation with COVID-19" and that "everything is getting cancelled at this point."
In the meantime, Di Maria has not been receiving chemotherapy in case a surgery date becomes available.
"I'm frustrated because I’m concerned about growth during the period I have been off chemo," she said. "The chances are very high of the cancer spreading further. I’m kind of stuck with what to do, unfortunately."
She said she understands the pressures the health-care system is facing but feels her urgent needs aren't being met and doesn’t understand why her cancer surgery isn't taking place.
"COVID-19 patients are getting all the care right now and we're on the back burner, which is horrible," she said. "I would consider my surgery to be urgent, so I’m not really sure why it’s being affected."
Woodbridge, Ont. woman Cassandra Di Maria, right, was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and has undergone 17 rounds of chemotherapy since then. (Supplied)
The Ontario government announced earlier this month that non-urgent surgeries would be postponed in order to keep hospital beds free during the Omicron COVID-19 wave.
When asked about Di Maria's situation, a Ministry of Health spokesperson said "we know this difficult decision can be distressing for people requiring hospital care."
"Surgical resources are managed independently at each hospital in Ontario. As such, each institution must balance the needs of their urgent scheduled surgery patients, emergency surgery patients, and the needs of critical care patients in hospital, while also balancing the need to limit harm to patients by considering what surgeries and procedures should not be delayed, for example, bypass surgeries and most cancer surgeries."
Meanwhile, Di Maria, who recently got engaged, said she wants to get past this hurdle so she can look forward to other things in life, like planning her wedding set for April 2023.
"It's been hard and scary," she said. "I'm not the only person experiencing this. There are a lot of people and something needs to change. This whole situation needs to be reassessed."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.