Clinical trials are changing outcomes for cancer in British Columbia By Vincent on Apr 24, 2018 Clinical trials are essential in our quest to deliver better treatment to patients here in BC. One such patient, Jacqueline Patrick, was diagnosed with breast cancer a number of years ago, but now is thriving. Like Ken and Danny, Jacquie, who is based in Chilliwack, BC, has agreed to share her story to shed light on the impact of trials on those facing cancer in our province. She... Continue Reading Clinical Trials
Clinical trials give patients new lease on life By Vincent on Apr 13, 2018 Patients are the heart of what we do. Every day as we get closer to developing newer and more effective methods for cancer prevention and treatment, these patients are top of mind. Last week, Danny shared his heartfelt story on the care that he received and how the clinical trial he took part in saved his life. His story underscores the life-saving nature of our work, and the... Continue Reading Clinical Trials
Enrolling in a clinical trial 'saved my life" By Melissa on Apr 02, 2018 The main reason I’m passionate about clinical trials is because they're the only way we can move medicine forward and achieve the kind of progress that will improve the lives of those touched by cancer. This progress always starts with one patient at a time. Danny is one of my patients who chose to participate in a clinical trial, and he agreed to share some of his story with us. He... Continue Reading Clinical Trials
Thrilling Progress Happening in Clinical Research By Melissa on Mar 21, 2018 There are a lot of exciting developments happening right now in the realm of clinical research at BC Cancer. New discoveries are being put to the test with the potential to save more lives and reduce the burden of treatment on patients. We're one of the very few places in the world capable of conducting this kind of transformative research. One such trial is making waves for its... Continue Reading Clinical Trials
Interpreting PET/CT Images to Offer the Best Cancer Treatment By Laura Matwichuk on Feb 17, 2017 Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography, or PET/CT, is an imaging method that uses a sophisticated machine to generate images of patients following the injection of very small amounts of a medical isotope. As a Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine physician in the Functional Imaging Department at BC Cancer, my primary role is to interpret the PET/CT images obtained on one of the... Continue Reading BC Cancer - Vancouver, Clinical Trials, Functional cancer imaging, PET/CT scan, Prostate Cancer
Reflecting on the Pace of Cancer Discovery By Laura Matwichuk on Jan 27, 2017 In his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of cancer, “The Emperor of All Maladies,” Siddhartha Mukherjee quotes the Red Queen from Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass” to describe perfectly how clinical cancer research must move: “It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.” I find myself reflecting on this quote very often. Cancer cells arise from us – they... Continue Reading Clinical Trials, Genomics, Ride to Conquer Cancer
Finding New Hope Through Clinical Trials By Laura Matwichuk on Jan 13, 2017 As a medical oncologist, I specialize in treating about five cancer types, and the main focus of my current research is in bladder cancer. I’d like to describe a couple of the clinical trials we have been involved in lately. The first is a study comparing new immunotherapy treatments to our current standard of... Continue Reading Bladder Cancer, Chemotherapy, Clinical Trials, Immunotherapy
Achieving Great Things in B.C., Thanks to Donors By Laura Matwichuk on Jan 06, 2017 It’s an honour and privilege to be invited back as a BC Cancer Foundation guest blogger. It is hard to believe that it has already been four years since my first foray into blogging. Much has changed since then: I can finally say that I am a Vancouverite, as my family and I have settled into our new home; I have established a busy practice with a focus on bladder cancer; and some of the... Continue Reading Bladder Cancer, Clinical Trials
Introducing January Guest Blogger Dr. Bernie Eigl By Laura Matwichuk on Jan 04, 2017 I’d like to thank Sarah Sample and Paula Myers for closing out 2016 with insightful blog posts about progress happening at the BC Cancer Agency’s Patient and Family Counselling program. Their efforts are having a significant impact for families facing cancer. I’m so pleased to introduce our first blogger of the new year, Dr. Bernie Eigl. A medical oncologist and Provincial Director of... Continue Reading Announcing new guest blogger, Clinical Trials, Patient and Family Counselling
First "clinical trial" in Grade 6 for this doctor By Ken Donohue on Nov 02, 2016 I am a medical oncologist and co-medical director of the Hereditary Cancer Program, with Intan Schrader. I grew up in Toronto, and first became interested in science in grade six. For my science project that year, I bought samples of acne cream and asked some older (pimply) kids to use and rate the effectiveness of the creams. In retrospect, this was my first randomized phase 2... Continue Reading BC Cancer - Vancouver, Breast Cancer, Clinical Trials, Hereditary Cancer