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Breathe Change Policy Forums

Breathe Change has been introducing Canadians to the hottest topics in lung health since 2023. These free and accessible events are designed to raise awareness about critical and emerging issues in respiratory health policy, turning insights into action! Select your 2025 Breathe Change Policy Series sessions below: 

Bringing Hope and Care Closer to Home: Improving Accessibility for Lung Cancer Treatments

October 30, 2025 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET 

Should a person’s postal code affect their lung cancer outcomes? Or could breakthroughs translate into equitable access and improved outcomes for all patients, no matter where they live? 

For too many Canadians, access to life-saving lung cancer treatments is shaped by geography and systemic barriers rather than medical need. Yet advances in clinical trials and subcutaneous therapies that can replace some IV infusions offer a chance to transform care—making treatments faster, more convenient, and closer to home.  

During this policy forum, we will: 

  • Analyze disparities in lung cancer treatment access across Canada by examining how geography, infrastructure, and socio-economic factors contribute to inequitable care, particularly in rural, remote, and underserved communities. 
  • Introduce the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT) pilot, highlighting its design, early outcomes, and potential to reshape how clinical trials are delivered across regions with limited specialist access. 
  • Showcase innovative, patient-centered care models—including home- and community-administered therapies such as subcutaneous treatments—that reduce the burden of travel and enable patients to receive high-quality care closer to home. 
  • Explore the broader health system and economic implications of decentralizing cancer care, including cost-effectiveness, workforce capacity, and opportunities to strengthen health equity through policy and investment. 

Moving from Race Correction to Race Neutral Respiratory Care

December 4, 2025 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET 

Should a person’s race affect their lung condition diagnosis? 

For decades, race correction in pulmonary diagnostics—adjusting lung function results based on a patient’s race—has shaped how conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are diagnosed and managed, with significant consequences for patient care and outcomes. Its influence also extends into treatment pathways, including those for lung cancer, where accurate assessments are critical. As leading health organizations commit to ending this practice, important questions arise: How has race correction contributed to inequities in care? What does race neutrality mean in practice?  

During this policy forum, we will: 

  • Examine the historical origins of race correction in respiratory care, including how outdated racial assumptions influenced its adoption in clinical practice. 
  • Present current evidence on the continued use of race correction in Canada’s respiratory health system and its implications for patient outcomes. 
  • Highlight the clinical and systemic harms associated with this practice, including risks of misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and inequitable care. 
  • Propose actionable policy and clinical reforms to support the adoption of race-neutral diagnostic and treatment approaches across Canadian healthcare settings. 
  • Equip patients and caregivers with the knowledge and tools to discuss race-corrected diagnostics with their healthcare providers.