BC Cancer - Kelowna

The first time I blogged for the BC Cancer Foundation was in February 2016; I’d been on the job at BC Cancer for only a few months. Time has flown by; I cannot believe I’ve been here three years.

I sometimes think about three key things attracted me to this position. The first was the people who worked at BC Cancer: terrific, caring, committed people. They had been through a rough...

Philanthropy and research is truly a partnership. We can have a lab full of talented and passionate researchers, but if we don’t have the dollars to fund the research, then the leading-edge discoveries that the BC Cancer Agency has become renowned for wouldn’t happen. There are lots of examples, but I will highlight one—OVCARE—BC’s Ovarian Cancer Research Program.

Traditionally,...

I am very pleased to be this month’s guest blogger. I joined the BC Cancer Foundation as its new President and CEO in mid-April and since then I have been so inspired by the many incredible donors who support the BC Cancer Agency’s brilliant and compassionate team of physicians and scientists.

I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a bit about me. I grew up in New Jersey – yes, I...

Wow, time flies! This is my final post. I have tried over the past few weeks to provide some insight into what it means to be a medical physicist--the unique value we bring to the health care system, and to show you an example of the type of work we do to improve cancer care.

I have highlighted the value of investing in our future: bright young graduate students and residents. In this...

Last week I introduced some exciting, innovative work we are doing at the BC Cancer Agency – Southern Interior on permanent breast seed implant treatments for breast cancer. Today, I’d like to talk a bit about the vital importance of young physics trainees in pushing forward new treatments.

Engaging bright, young physics trainees is, for me, one of the true joys of my work. I do this...

Yesterday, I shared how an innovative treatment for breast cancer is being offered in Kelowna, which has the promise to be implemented more widely and benefit more women.

Since the beginning of our Permanent Breast Seed Implants program, we have had exactly this goal in mind: to innovate and evolve the technique to enable widespread clinical implementation. We aim specifically to...

Hello again. The timing of this post has landed in the midst of a very exciting week for me, as I am currently attending a Medical Physics Leadership Academy, near Washington DC. Medical physicists from across the U.S. and Canada have gathered here to learn about effective leadership and discuss what it means to be a leader in medical physics. It has been an extremely interesting and...

I am very happy to have been invited to be the guest blogger this month. I hope you will enjoy our short journey together and learn a bit about medical physics, as it relates to innovation in cancer care. 

I was born and raised in Deep River, a small town in Ontario, where, yes, the Ottawa River is at its very deepest—123 metres (400 ft.).

Deep River was an interesting place to...

Thank you to our May guest blogger, Dr. David Scott, who shared some interesting insight into work that he and his team are doing to better understand and treat lymphoma.

This month we’re excited to welcome Dr. Michelle Hilts, a medical physicist at the BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for the Southern Interior. Dr. Hilts has been with the Cancer Agency for 17 years, and before settling in...

Cancer is a complex disease, and so cancer research is by necessity multifaceted and involves lots of collaboration. We are fortunate in B.C. to have strong research programs.

We do need to pay attention to research and programs in health promotion, cancer prevention, and early detection through screening as these can have profound effects on our overall goal of reducing the burden and...