Cancer Care Vision for the Northwest Territories
Overview
The Cancer Care Vision explains how cancer care is guided and improved across the Northwest Territories.
What the Cancer Care Vision is
The Cancer Care Vision sets a shared, long‑term direction to guide how cancer care is improved across the Northwest Territories.
It builds on the foundational work of the Charting Our Course: Northwest Territories Cancer Strategy 2015–2025 and focuses on guiding principles that support quality, equity, cultural safety, and continuous learning, rather than a fixed list of actions.
- Cancer Care Vision (PDF)
Guiding principles for cancer care in the NWT
The Cancer Care Vision is grounded in guiding principles that reflect what people across the Northwest Territories said matters most in their cancer care experience. These principles describe how cancer care is approached and strengthened over time.
These guiding principles emphasize:
- Accessible and equitable access to care and screening
- Culturally safe, community‑driven approaches to prevention and wellness
- Person-centred, holistic support across the cancer journey
- Strong communication and information shared information
- Coordinated care with strong navigation and transitions
- Commitment to safety, quality, and continuous improvement
Goals and priorities guiding improvement efforts
The Cancer Care Vision is organized around a set of shared goals and priorities. These reflect what matters most to people receiving and providing cancer in the NWT and describe where improvement efforts are focused over time.
The goals are:
Prevention and wellness
Support communities and residents with the knowledge, supports, and environments needed to reduce cancer risk and promote wellness across the lifespan, using culturally safe and community-driven approaches.
Screening and early detection
Improve access to screening options that are accessible, culturally safe, and responsive to community needs, supporting earlier detection and more consistent care across the territory.
Navigation and coordination
Support people and families with clear, culturally relevant navigation and coordinated transitions across the cancer care continuum.
Holistic supports and quality of life
Strengthen access to holistic supports that address physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and practical needs throughout the cancer experience.
Communication, information, and learning systems
Strengthen communication and information systems to support coordinated care, shared understanding, and continuous learning across cancer care services and partners.
Under each goal, priorities guide where improvement efforts are focused over time, while allowing flexibility for programs and regions to respond to local needs.
Together, the guiding principles and goals provide a shared foundation for improving cancer prevention, care, and supports across the Northwest Territories.
How progress and learning will be shared
The Government of the Northwest Territories is committed to openness, learning, and sharing information about how cancer care improves over time.
Progress will be shared using selected measures related to access, quality, safety, and patient experience. Public reporting tools are currently in development and will be shared when they are ready.
Share feedback on cancer care
Ongoing feedback is an important part of the Cancer Care Vision.
Residents, patients, families, caregivers, and communities are encouraged to share perspectives and experiences related to cancer care in the Northwest Territories. Feedback helps inform learning, accountability, and future improvement across the Health and Social Services system.
Email feedback
Chronicdisease@gov.nt.ca(link sends e-mail)
Please do not include personal or medical details in your message.
Getting cancer care and support
If you or someone you care for needs cancer‑related services, contact your local health authority or health care provider.
Examples of cancer related programs available to all NWT residents that you may be interested in include:
For general questions about the Cancer Care Vision, feedback can be shared using the email address above.