Stronach travels to U.S. for cancer treatment

“Belinda had one of her later-stage operations in California, after referral from her personal physicians in Toronto. Prior to this, Belinda had surgery and treatment in Toronto, and continues to receive follow-up treatment there,” said Greg MacEachern, Stronach’s assistant and spokesperson.

Speed was not the issue, MacEachern said – it was more to do with the type of surgery she and her doctor agreed was best for her, and where it was best performed. The type of cancer Stronach had is called DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ, one of the more treatable forms.

Stronach, who has announced she is leaving politics to return to executive duties at her father’s Magna empire, paid for the procedure.

“As we said back in June when we confirmed the surgery, this is a personal and private matter between Belinda, her family and her physicians. I think you’ll understand that because of respect for Belinda’s privacy, we refrained from offering specific details around her medical treatment,” MacEachern said.

It is unusual for a federal politician to travel outside Canada for private medical treatment, especially given the hallowed status of the Canadian, publicly financed health-care system in the realm of political debate.

MacEachern stressed that Stronach’s decision had nothing to do with her confidence – or lack of it – in Canada’s cancer-treatment facilities or public health care.

He pointed out that there is a cancer-care facility in Newmarket named after the Stronach family, after Frank Stronach donated $8 million toward its construction in 2004.

“In fact, Belinda thinks very highly of the Canadian health-care system, and uses it when needed for herself and her children, as do all Canadians. As well, her family has clearly demonstrated that support,” MacEachern said.

“This was about a specific health-care procedure, unrelated to any views about the quality of Canadian health care, a decision based on medical advice and a referral from her Toronto physicians, and just one part of several areas of treatment. Belinda has nothing but praise for the community of health-care professionals in Toronto who supported and treated her throughout the last six months.”

MacEachern did not want to answer questions in detail about the type of surgery, what she paid for it or where exactly it was performed in California.

He did say, however, that Stronach underwent the operation in June, roughly around the time she would have had the procedure had she remained in Canada.

The Canadian Cancer Society also says it is impossible to determine how many citizens of this country travel each year to the United States for private cancer treatment, since records are only kept if they apply in some way for compensation.

Similarly, the U.S. Cancer Society says it is impossible to calculate, even roughly, how much Stronach paid for her treatment in California, since costs vary so much from state to state and even within cities.

Stronach will be back on Parliament Hill in October when the Commons resumes, MacEachern said.

Though there are repeated rumours she is going to resign sooner than the next election, she appears to be ready to take up her MP’s duties again in the fall.

She was spotted last week at the Toronto International Film Festival, her first public sighting since the cancer treatment and also since the news of her breakup with NHL hockey player Tie Domi.

Privacy was also reportedly a factor in Stronach’s decision to seek treatment outside Toronto, where she is easily recognized.

An on-line tabloid magazine reported a sighting of her earlier this year at Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto, which has a cancer-care facility, before Stronach had told her family of her cancer diagnosis.

In addition, Stronach has had repeated problems with harassers and stalkers, as biographer Don Martin wrote in his book, Belinda, last year. Just last December, at the Liberal leadership convention, police had to intervene when a person under legal injunctions against approaching her, got past security at the convention centre and near enough to make the MP and her staff nervous.