B.C. Is Poised to Lead the World in Redefining Cancer Care

On World Cancer Day, British Columbia shows how collaboration can change the future of cancer care. 

Cancer remains the greatest health challenge of our time. As diagnoses rise alongside a growing and aging population — and as the U.S. scales back investment in medical research — the need for faster, smarter and more accessible care has never been more urgent. This shift creates a rare opportunity for B.C. to step forward. 

In B.C., a powerful alliance of scientific research, industry expertise, government commitment and donor support, through the BC Cancer Foundation, is transforming how cancer is detected and treated — and positioning the province as a global leader in oncology innovation. 

Leading Canada in Breakthroughs  

BC Cancer was the first in Canada to manufacture CAR T cells — genetically engineered, cancer-fighting copies of a patient’s own immune cells. In a national clinical trial co-led with the Ottawa Hospital, 43 per cent of participants with leukemia and lymphoma achieved complete remission after exhausting every other option. 

BC Cancer – Victoria researchers are now applying CAR T to solid tumours such as ovarian and pancreatic cancer, with early preclinical results showing incredible promise.  

Patients in Kelowna became the first in the country to receive advanced AI-enabled adaptive radiation therapy using Ethos — a technology that adjusts in real time to daily changes in tumour shape and position for more precise treatment with fewer side effects. 

“We’re not just advancing science — we’re accelerating it,” says Dr. Paris Ingledew, executive vice-president and chief medical officer at BC Cancer. “Our unique province-wide network allows discoveries to move quickly from the lab to the clinic, ensuring patients across B.C. benefit from the latest advances, no matter where they live.” 

For Vi MacLean, a Quesnel, B.C. grandmother with Stage 4 breast cancer, this meant access to SIMPLIFY, a donor-funded clinical trial using high-precision radiation to treat oligometastatic cancer, where the disease has spread to only a few sites. Led by BC Cancer – Prince George, SIMPLIFY is expanding across B.C. and internationally.  

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“Innovation at this scale only happens with sustained investment,” says BC Cancer Foundation President and CEO Sarah Roth. “Donor support allows BC Cancer to move faster — to adopt cutting-edge technologies, launch ambitious clinical trials and attract and retain world-class talent.” 

This support has positioned B.C. as a leader in early cancer detection and prevention. 

Informed in part by a BC Cancer Foundation–funded study, B.C. launched Canada’s first cervix self-screening program — a Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-based test which has the potential to eliminate cervical cancer.  

And the province’s lung cancer screening program, launched with almost $2 million in donor support, has detected 71 per cent of its participants’ cancers at an early, more treatable stage. 

Anchored by BC Cancer’s unparalleled provincial system — including tumour biobanks and shared patient data essential to research — and supported by B.C.’s fast-growing biotech sector, the province is well positioned to lead in the race against this disease.