Cancer treatment has come a long way and these days there's a very attractive alternative to intravenous chemotherapy.

It's just as effective and much more convenient, if you can afford it.

Imagine cancer treatment that’s as easy as taking a multivitamin.

Jordan Herst is an oncologist at the Northern Cancer Centre.

"It looks like a pill. Except it's chemotherapy." said Herst.

It’s not science fiction, it's a tool available to oncologists today and is the same chemotherapy as in an IV, but it's a lot easier to swallow.

"We’re able to offer to patients two different recipes that are equivalent in effectiveness, and basically the difference is convenience.” said Herst.

And the alternative is not all about convenience, there is also a therapeutic benefit to being able to take a pill rather than a needle.

“It's likely a benefit in terms of psychological wellbeing or not having to be in the hospital." said Herst.

Given the choice, most patients would likely take the pill over the needle, but most can’t because the cost is really high and unaffordable for most.

"They're ferociously expensive. You're talking generally about $5,000 a month. Unless you're covered under the province's publicly funded program, you can't afford it.” said Herst.

And that means if you're fighting cancer, some treatments are a luxury, available only to those who can afford it or who have great coverage, which is something the Ontario NDP tried to change this week.

France Gelinas is the Nickel Belt MP and Ontario NDP Health Critic.

"If you were to live in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the cost of the take-home cancer medication would be covered by the government." said Gelinas.

But on Wednesday, a motion that would see Ontario join that group was swiftly defeated, leaving the needle as the only option for cancer patients in Ontario, unless you can afford to fight first-class.