Cancer treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.

Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.

As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.

Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.

For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:

• Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
• Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
• Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
• Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
• iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
• Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
• Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
• Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.

Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.

We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.

At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.

Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.

Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.

All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.

Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.

Yes. In some cases, a doctor from Maple will be able to diagnose cancer based on your past medical history, discussing your symptoms and by observing your condition.

If the doctor wishes to do further testing before offering a cancer diagnosis and treatment options, they may suggest having blood, urine or stool samples taken to help detect cancer causing abnormalities.

Depending on the location of the suspected cancer, the doctor may also suggest laboratory or imaging tests (X-Ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound or fibre-optic endoscopy.)

Typically, if possible, a biopsy is performed on tumors to confirm a cancer diagnosis and determine the most effective treatment methods.

Yes, our physicians can prescribe medications online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or to have it delivered right to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it Works page to learn more.

Cancer (also known as malignancy) is an abnormal growth of cells. These clusters of cancer cells grow uncontrollably and form masses called tumors.

There are over 100 types of cancer, which can grow in many different parts of the body. The tumors can spread through direct extension, or by traveling through the lymphatic system or blood vessels to other parts of the body.

There are two distinct types of tumors:

• Benign – These tumors won’t spread to other parts of the body or create new tumors. They are noncancerous.
• Malignant – These tumors interfere with functions of the body, crowd out healthy cells and steal nutrients from tissues in the body. They are cancerous and can spread.

Symptoms of cancer include:

• Chronic or unexplained fevers or night sweats
• Hoarseness or difficulty swallowing
• Changes in urination or bowel movement habits
• Chronic or unexplained indigestion
• Abdominal discomfort after meals
• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent cough that doesn’t improve over time
• Bruising or bleeding without cause
• Chronic joint pain or muscle aches without reason
• Jaundice or darkening of skin
• Sores that won’t heal
• Changes to existing moles
• Unintended, abrupt changes in weight
• Severe fatigue
• A lump or area that has begun to thicken beneath the skin

Direct cancer causes vary from one type of cancer to another, but ultimately cancers are a result of a change or mutation in the DNA of cells.

Normal cells each contain a set of instructions that direct the cell on what tasks it’s supposed to perform. The instructions also teach cells how to grow and divide.

These mutations instruct healthy cells to act in a way that isn’t normal, such as making mistakes when repairing DNA errors, allowing for rapid cell division or failing to halt uncontrolled cell growth.

While there are a few types of cancer which are difficult to treat, most forms of cancer cells can be treated.

Your doctor will make recommendations on how to treat your cancer depending on what type of cancer has developed, where it’s located in your body and how far the cancer has spread (also known as the stage of cancer).

Common methods for treatment of cancer include surgeries to remove the tumor, chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells using drugs and using radiation to damage or destroy cancer cells.

In some cases, your doctor may also recommend less common methods of cancer treatment, such as:

• Targeted therapy (using drugs to target specific parts of cancer cells)
• Stem cell transplants
• Hormone therapy (usually for breast or prostate cancers)
• Immunotherapy
• Photodynamic therapy

Cancer begins when a change or mutation occurs in the DNA of cells, affecting their internal instructions and allowing for uncontrolled division or growth.

This can be caused by genetic mutations already built into the cells’ DNA, or through influence by an outside force, such as radiation or exposure to harmful chemicals.

Metastatic cancer (also known as metastasis cancer) refers to the spread of cancer cells from the original cancer source to other parts of the body.

A patient living with metastatic cancer could live anywhere from a few months to 10+ years, depending on the location of their cancer, their cancer types, and the current stage of the cancer.

Life expectancy can vary widely depending on these factors. For instance, a patient with metastatic breast cancer lives an average of 2-3 years, while a patient whose cancer is limited to a single organ or their bones could live 4-5 years.

With proper treatment, patients may be able to extend their life expectancies, and in some cases, even cause the cancer to stop spreading or go into remission.