‘Fell through the cracks’: Manitoba man accuses CancerCare of neglecting wife’s diagnosis

A Pinawa man wants answers and accountability after he claims CancerCare Manitoba neglected his wife’s cancer diagnosis.

“The time she had, they robbed it, they stole it,” said Rebel Lister. “By their lack of action, one way or the other, ya know.

“The way I see it, there where two courses of action: stand in front of us and give us the bad news, or get in gear and do what you can.”

Karen Lister was diagnosed with colon cancer last May. Her husband of 46 years says a CT scan showed her cancer had spread to her lung and liver, so she was referred to CancerCare Manitoba.

Lister says a “navigator” from CancerCare reached out to the family in June.

“That was the last time we heard from CancerCare until the morning of August 22nd,” Lister said.

Lister claims his wife and doctor made numerous attempts to contact CancerCare. During that time, she moved into palliative care, waiting to see a specialist.

On Aug. 20, her doctor told her she was finally scheduled to see an oncologist. She died two days later. Lister says the doctor admitted to his wife that she “fell through the cracks.”

In a statement to CityNews, Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara acknowledged the family’s concerns about feeling “left without the support and communication they needed during such a difficult time,” calling it “deeply concerning.”

“Every Manitoban deserves timely, compassionate care and clear communication when navigating a cancer diagnosis,” Asagwara said. “While we cannot speak publicly about the details of an individual’s medical care out of respect for privacy, CancerCare Manitoba has reviewed this case internally as part of its commitment to identifying opportunities to strengthen processes and communication and improve care for patients and families.

“We know no process change can undo the pain this family has experienced, but we are committed to ensuring concerns raised by patients and loved ones are taken seriously and help inform improvements to care moving forward. Our government expects Manitoba’s health system to learn from tragic situations like this and take action to improve care for patients and families.”

Sections of CancerCare’s statement to CityNews were identical to Asagwara’s.

“CancerCare Manitoba takes all concerns from patients and their loved ones very seriously,” the provincial cancer authority added.

“Whenever concerns arise, we conduct an internal review to identify areas where processes and communication could be improved as part of our commitment to providing safe, compassionate, and high-quality care to all patients and families we serve.”

Both Minster Asagwara and CancerCare Manitoba said their “hearts go out to Karen Lister’s family and loved ones.”

Rebel Lister says he was told CancerCare launched a four-month investigation into his wife’s case, but he’s never been given any answers.

Karen Lister leaves behind two children and two grandchildren. Rebel feels her final months were wasted when they could have been on a “farewell tour.”

Now he wants accountability.

“Just some acknowledgement that they made a mistake, and they’re determined to fix it,” he said. “So nobody else has to be treated like that.”