At 34, when Tara Maines tells you that she's celebrating a major milestone in her life, you expect to hear about a wedding anniversary, completion of graduate school, or the birth of a child. It's easy to think that only good things have touched the life of this bright, vivacious young woman. But this year, Maines celebrates 10 years of being cancer-free.

"It was quite a shock to learn I had cancer," says Maines, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1995. At the time, she had just graduated from UBC with a degree in biochemistry and genetics, was planning a wedding, and about to start a new job. "But, what made the journey easier was the people at the cancer centre," she says. "They treated the physical part of the disease expertly, but also helped me cope with all the emotions that come as a result of a cancer diagnosis, and helped me move on with my life."

Maines was one of the first patients to be treated at the BC Cancer Agency¡¦s Fraser Valley Centre in Surrey when it first opened in April of 1995. That first year, staff treated 1,700 new patients. Today, the Centre cares for 2,800 new patients each year [roughly 20 percent of all cancer patients diagnosed in the province] and serves a population of more than 1.4 million people in the Fraser Valley.

Before the Centre opened, Fraser Valley patients traveled to Vancouver for treatment. "It was so wonderful having the centre just a short drive from home," says Maines, who moved back home to South Surrey to receive chemotherapy at the Fraser Valley Centre. "My mom drove me and stayed with me during treatment. I don't think I would have been able to make the long drive into Vancouver week after week."

While Maines would be happy to never set foot in the Fraser Valley Centre again, it is hearing success stories like hers that keep the centre staff going.

"This is very much a patient-centred treatment facility," says Dr. Frances Wong, Head of Radiation Oncology, who has been with the clinic since it opened. Dr. Wong is one of 10 radiation oncologists working alongside 12 medical oncologists and two general practitioners.

"All of our activities are geared to improving our patients' care and their experience at the Centre, whether that's providing professional interpreter services, so we know patients truly understand their options and the treatment process, or providing access to leading edge therapies such as Intensity Modulated Radiation Treatment, a more precise radiation therapy technique used to treat tumours close to critical organs."

"Research is where we can make a real difference in improving patient care," says Dr. Chris Lee, a medical oncologist and director of the clinical trials program. "It is only through research we can advance our knowledge about cancer and improve patient outcomes, which is why conducting research is an important part of the BC Cancer Agency's provincial mandate." In the past 10 years, the Centre's clinical trials program has enrolled more than 700 patients, with 100 patients this year alone. 

Since 1995, Fraser Valley patients have helped make major advances in cancer treatment and care by participating in leading national and international clinical trials. Barb Hunter is one of 60 women from the Fraser Valley, and 2,100 women in North America, participating in a National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group breast cancer study comparing the effectiveness of three different drug regimens following surgery to remove cancer.

Diagnosed in 2003, Hunter says it was an easy choice to participate in a clinical trial. "I think it¡¦s important for patients in the Fraser Valley to have access to new therapies being tested through clinical trials, and to have experienced health care professionals who can carefully monitor patients."

Despite a national shortage of specialists, the Centre has been able to attract two new medical oncologists, in part because of its commitment to conducting clinical trials.

Already considered to be one of the largest regional cancer centres in the country, the Centre will add six new chemotherapy treatment chairs in its Ambulatory Chemotherapy Unit next year which will meet the demand for services in the coming years. Staff are also hard at work with the Fraser Health Authority on plans for a new cancer facility in Abbotsford, as part of the Abbotsford Hospital and Cancer Centre, slated to open in Spring 2008. The new facility will provide care closer to home for patients living further out in the Fraser Valley.

The BC Cancer Foundation ¡V Fraser Valley is working with donors from the community to support both clinical trials research and the new Abbotsford Hospital and Cancer Centre.

The Fraser Valley Centre is part of a provincial cancer network operated by the BC Cancer Agency. The BC Cancer Agency, a part of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Research Centre conducts research into the causes and cures for cancer.

For more information, please contact:
Papinder Rehncy
BC Cancer Agency
604.877.6261
prehncy@bccancer.bc.ca