BREAKTHROUGH

Dr. Carlos Uribe is the molecular imaging and therapy physics lead at BC Cancer and part of the team that helped bring a first-in-Canada Next-Generation PET/CT to Vancouver. But he was once a frightened young boy in Colombia undergoing treatment for leukemia.

“Imagine being a kid and in hospital almost every day. Everything involves needles and tubes, and then they come in with an even bigger needle to take a bit of your bone marrow. Between seven and eight years old, I basically cried every day,” he says.

For a child going through cancer treatment, hospital procedures often meant pain. But some were different: he would lie on a bed while a machine created images from inside his body, helping doctors see what was happening and guide his treatment.

“When I had one of these scans, it didn’t hurt. That’s what made them so unique. Everything else was so painful, but this wasn’t. That became the main reason I went into medical imaging. I wanted to help cancer patients avoid some of the invasive, painful procedures I went through and improve their care, diagnosis and treatment.”

Dr. Uribe left home to pursue graduate studies in nuclear medicine physics at UBC. He has been at BC Cancer for over 10 years, helping expand molecular imaging and therapy, including PET/CT services, across the province.

Funded in part by $6.1 million from BC Cancer Foundation donors, the new PET/CT in Vancouver is a dream come true for Dr. Uribe and his team.

The new scanner can image the whole body in a single frame, delivering clearer images with less radiation. It will also give researchers an opportunity to develop radiopharmaceutical drugs that deliver more precise treatment with fewer side effects.

While the new PET/CT can reduce scan time from up to 40 minutes to as little as two minutes, patients still need to rest quietly for about 45 minutes before their scan while a small amount of radioactive tracer travels through the body to highlight areas doctors need to see.

“For many, that waiting period can be filled with anxiety and uncertainty as they wait to learn whether they have cancer or their disease has changed.”

Dr. Uribe understands that emotional weight personally. He remembers how much small comforts mattered during long days in hospital, when even brief distractions, such as cartoons, could make the experience feel more bearable.

This memory inspired a simple, deeply personal idea: make the PET/CT waiting space feel less clinical and more humane.

Dr. Uribe transformed a blank, grey wall into a large projection screen to bring moments of calm, beauty and connection to patients while they wait. Some of the first works projected were created in partnership with First Nations artists, whose vibrant designs helped make the room feel more welcoming.

Dr. Uribe has also contributed his own work, including a video of the flowing Coquitlam River accompanied by birdsong. Over time, he hopes the space will continue to evolve, with new nature scenes, artwork and community contributions that can offer patients comfort in different ways.

Grounded in a lesson he carries from his own childhood cancer journey, Dr. Uribe says, “We can’t take away the worry or fear that comes with a cancer scan, but we can try to ease the burden and make these moments a little easier to get through.”

A groundbreaking made-in-B.C. blood test is transforming how families understand inherited cancer risk — eliminating unnecessary testing on one side of a family while bringing life-saving clarity to the other. 

With BC Cancer Foundation support, BC Cancer scientists have developed a world-first technology, Parent-of-Origin-Aware Genomic Analysis (POAga) which can determine, with 98% accuracy, whether a cancer-causing gene mutation was inherited from a patient’s mother or father — using only a single blood sample.

Until now, determining which side of a family carries a mutation has required testing multiple relatives on both sides — something that is often difficult or impossible if parents are no longer living, unwilling or unavailable to test, or biological family history is unknown.

POAga changes that.

“It’s the biggest advance in hereditary cancer testing technology in decades, and it will transform cancer prevention for generations,” says Dr. Kasmintan Schrader, co-medical director of BC Cancer’s Hereditary Cancer Program.

By pinpointing which parent a mutation came from, the test immediately focuses attention where it matters most, clarifying risk for one side of a family while relieving uncertainty, stress and worry for the other, and dramatically improving the efficiency of genetic screening across the health-care system.

For relatives who may carry the mutation, this insight enables access to genetic testing, earlier screening and preventive care that can stop cancer before it starts.

For Linda Hopkins, POAga provided long-awaited clarity and a clear path forward.

Linda’s sister was already facing ovarian cancer when Linda was diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer.  “Between my sister and I, for two years it was a mess,” she says.

“I went from being a very active person to learning that I had pancreatic cancer as well as a gene mutation that put me and my family at greater risk. I developed a lot of anxiety, which I had never had in my life.”

It didn’t come as a complete surprise to Linda when she learned she carried the BRCA2 mutation, as her sister had already tested positive. But POAga predicted that the mutation came from her mother — who had passed away years earlier — allowing Linda to alert relatives on that side of the family so they can pursue genetic testing and earlier screening.

Linda’s genetic counsellor at BC Cancer offered to contact her  Canadian relatives on her mother’s side. And Linda has also reached out to family in Ireland to let them know they, too, could face an elevated risk of developing cancer.

This knowledge is powerful, because early detection can save lives. As it did with Linda.

After surgery to remove her pancreas and six months of chemotherapy, Linda is now, incredibly, cancer-free.

Turning Loss into a Legacy of Hope  

“Prior to Lee’s illness, I didn’t even have a will,” admits Richard Hewitt, who despite being a long-time donor, hadn’t considered leaving a legacy gift to the BC Cancer Foundation.

That changed after Richard met legal advisor Sara Pedlow at a BC Cancer Foundation event, and she explained the benefits to both Richard’s estate and in sustaining future cancer research and care.

“Most individuals have a sense of how they wish to allocate their assets amongst their loved ones but it’s less common for them to have established ideas about legacy giving — even if they have given generously to charities throughout their lives,” says Sara.

“People are often surprised that they can include a charity alongside family and friends, and there’s flexibility in how to structure a gift or that it can be tied to a specific purpose.”

This resonated with Richard, who first began donating to the BC Cancer Foundation after his first wife, Margot, faced Hodgkin lymphoma in 1969 when they were still dating.

After Richard and Margot separated in the ’80s, they remained good friends and over the years Richard has continued to support cancer research — eventually through groundbreaking immunotherapy and its success in treating blood cancers — in her honour.

After Lee, Richard’s partner of 35 years, passed away in 2023, six months after being diagnosed with a rare endometrial cancer, he created the Lee Currell Gynecologic Cancer Research Fund.

A former nurse, dedicated volunteer at the Vancouver Sun Run and Rogue Folk Club and an avid pickleball player, Lee made friends wherever she went, says Richard. Thanks to her generous network, the fund has already raised almost half of its $500,000 goal.

“When I first started Lee’s fund, I never imagined it would intersect with my previous support of immunotherapy research,” says Richard.

“But now with CAR T-cell therapy showing real promise in treating ovarian cancer, it’s coming together in a way that feels magical. Including a legacy gift in my will to the BC Cancer Foundation is how I can help ensure this work continues — and that Lee’s legacy, and the hope it represents, carries forward.”

“This is the power of legacy giving,” says Sara. “A gift in your will is a final opportunity to focus not on what you have, but on what you can achieve.”

Dr. Paris-Ann Ingledew on the Future of Cancer Care in B.C.   

BC Cancer’s new chief medical officer on how donor support is expanding research, treatment and access to care across the province.  

You’ve worked at three of BC Cancer’s six centres. How does that perspective shape your leadership today?

“Having worked at BC Cancer – Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver I can say with certainty that every centre has its own unique culture and attributes, but all are connected by a common thread of applying research, technology and innovation to ensure the best care for all patients. In addition to working at these centres, I also grew up in Kelowna, a community served by one of our centres. As we open new cancer spaces across B.C., I am excited to bring exceptional world-class care to many more patients closer to home.”

Why is the BC Cancer Foundation’s partnership so important to BC Cancer?

“It’s essential. Government funding allows us to deliver standard of care, but philanthropy helps us move faster, think bigger and drive meaningful change. Cancer care is challenging, but the Foundation’s dedicated donor community is a bright light that inspires and motivates us in our work.”

Can you share examples of donor-funded advances that are changing care?

“Donor investment is helping BC Cancer expand immunotherapy and CAR-T therapy — one of the most promising areas in cancer care — while also advancing precision oncology, genomics and AI-driven research.

The Foundation’s support in acquiring a Next-Generation PET/CT and cutting-edge precision radiation technologies is allowing us to deliver more accurate treatment, often in fewer visits with fewer side effects, which makes a meaningful difference for patients. These innovations simply wouldn’t be possible without philanthropy.”

How does donor support help more patients across B.C. access leading-edge cancer care?

“Donors help us create change on a system-wide level. One powerful example is the expansion of clinical trials. Donor support helps make trials available at BC Cancer centres across the province, so more patients can access leading-edge care closer to home. And when those trials succeed, they improve care not just in B.C. but worldwide.”