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03/07: Celebrating 100th patient in Victoria treated with leading-edge therapy
BC Cancer Agency brings optimal care thanks to research.
As an energetic and active 44-year-old, it was already a shock for Katy Crofts to discover she had breast cancer. Added to her stress was the discovery that the combination of chemotherapy and traditional radiation therapy for her breast and lymph nodes would put her at risk for heart failure.
So when she was referred to participate in a study at the BC Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Island Centre, Crofts was willing to become the 100th patient to receive Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), and one of the first patients in Canada to participate in a clinical trial using it for breast cancer.
“When I got my diagnosis, the doctor told me that if you have to have cancer, you’re in the best province because of the research and treatment available in B.C.,” says Crofts.
“IMRT is an advanced radiation therapy technique that ‘bends’ radiation around the shape of tumours, to better avoid affecting nearby, critical tissue,” explains Dr. Wayne Beckham, head of medical physics at the BC Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Island Centre, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority.
The BC Cancer Agency is the first in Canada to use multi-beam IMRT – nine or 11 different beams converging around the chest wall – to treat breast cancer.
“We have a research group, Improving Care through Technical Innovation, with a particular interest in breast cancer, and trying to improve care and reduce the side effects that occur from ‘standard’ treatments,” explains Dr. Ivo Olivotto, chief physician at the BC Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Island Centre. He and Dr. Beckham have presented their breast IMRT findings nationally and internationally so that this type of treatment could potentially benefit patients across Canada and the rest of the world.
IMRT for head and neck cancers is also available at the BC Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Centre, Vancouver Island Centre, and Fraser Valley Centre, and will be available at the Centre for the Southern Interior later this year. IMRT for breast cancer is currently only being done as a clinical trial in Victoria.
“Because the BC Cancer Agency has a province-wide approach to cancer control, Ms Crofts, a patient from Quesnel, is receiving the most optimal care for her particular cancer,” explains Dr. Olivotto. “At different times during her treatment, Ms. Crofts received care in Kelowna, Prince George and Vancouver and now has access to this advanced radiation treatment here in Victoria. This is a great example of how the BC Cancer Agency’s provincial network benefits patients with cancer across B.C.”
This innovative research is supported through donations to the BC Cancer Foundation, Vancouver Island, and a grant received from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon.
“Vancouver Islanders have stepped forward and generously supported the BC Cancer Foundation to help make Improving care Through Technical Innovation possible,” says Laura Walsh, director of development for the BC Cancer Foundation on Vancouver Island. “Research does enhance patient care. Every donation makes a difference and we hope marking this special 100th treatment will inspire more donations to advance research and improve care.”
IMRT was first used at the BC Cancer Agency on Vancouver Island for the treatment of head and neck cancers, to reduce damage to the sensitive structures around areas that need a high dose of radiation. Drs. Olivotto and Beckham became interested in its use for breast cancer because new chemotherapies increase the risk of heart failure, particularly when added to intense radiation.
“Multi-beam IMRT is not for every patient,” explains Dr. Olivotto. “We are using it where there is likely to be a large enough benefit from reducing the risk of radiation to the heart in the short term to outweigh a small potential risk of later malignancy in the years to come.”
After carefully considering her options, Crofts decided that she wanted to take advantage of the new technology, and the opportunity to be closely monitored as a clinical trials patient.
“I am absolutely getting the latest and the best treatment, and my outlook is very good, compared to what it would have been even five years ago,” she says.
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 Foundation supports research and enhancements to patient care at the BC Cancer Research Centre.
For more information, please contact:
Nicole Adams
BC Cancer Agency
T/ 604.877.6272
E/ nadams@bccancer.bc.ca
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