|
04/12: Clinical research at BC Cancer Agency receives $1 million boost
AstraZeneca donation will help advance clinical trials research and evidence-based decision-making.
For an active man in his mid-40s with no visible health problems, the diagnosis of kidney cancer in 2004 was an immense shock to Ian Hazenberg. Emergency surgery removed a grapefruit sized tumour from his kidney, and 15 days later he was back at the gym.
It was a brief reprieve. The following year, Hazenberg fell ill on a trip to Florida, and it was soon evident that his cancer had spread to the lungs and formed another tumour. The prognosis wasn’t good, but Hazenberg and his wife Evelyn weren’t willing to give up.
A clinical trial at the BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, studying a drug for kidney cancer offered some hope. Since he started on the trial, his tumour has shrunk by almost half, and he feels like he has a new lease on life.
“I believe that this clinical trial saved my life,” says Hazenberg. “I had a tumour bigger than a hockey puck on my left lung, and now it’s down to five centimeters. I would dead by now if it weren’t for this research.”
A new program being established at the BC Cancer Agency, thanks in part to a $1 million donation from AstraZeneca, is intended to help advance the efforts of clinical researchers, provide more options for cancer patients and support evidence-based decision-making on cancer interventions
The new program will combine complex ambulatory care with health outcomes and economics research to investigate potential new therapies, to evaluate how well the agency is using its existing resources, and how new resources can be best used to have the most effective impact on the population.
The complex ambulatory care unit will be a ‘one-stop shop’ for patients participating in clinical trials for new cancer treatments or diagnostic processes, says Dr. Susan O’Reilly, vice-president of Cancer Care at the BC Cancer Agency. This unit will bring together various elements that are currently separated physically, making them more efficient and easier for patients to move through the system.
“Patients who participate in complex treatments in a clinical research setting are currently being seen in busy clinics,” explains Dr. O’Reilly. “With this unit, all of the facilities needed to manage their care will be in one area. This will make it much more pleasant, as they will be cared for in a more suitable environment.”
Dr. Kim Chi, Hazenberg’s oncologist and medical director of the clinical trials unit at the BC Cancer Agency, explains that the Agency will be able to do more trials, perform more complex trials with new targeted therapies, and learn more about the current drugs and their effects on patients to refine current treatment strategies even more.
“As we understand more about cancer, our cancer treatment decisions are becoming increasingly complex as cancer treatments have become more targeted,” explains Dr. Chi. “Targeted in the sense that we are trying to target the cancer cell more than normal cells and thus have less side effects, target the cancer cell more effectively and thus have better cancer control, and target the patient better so that we treat those who are going to benefit the most and avoid unnecessary treatments in those that will benefit the least. To do this type of targeted therapy, we require sophisticated tools and efficient processes in order for appropriate, rapid and efficient analyses of patients on new treatments and in clinical trials. The donation will help make this possible through the purchase of this new equipment and hiring of research assistants.”
Advancing care for cancer patients through new therapies is important for program donor AstraZeneca. “As a company which places the highest value on improving the quality of patient healthcare, AstraZeneca Canada is proud to help the BC Cancer Agency deliver more effective research outcomes and provide a better environment for patients participating in clinical trials",” says Michael Cloutier, President and CEO, AstraZeneca Canada.
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 Agency.
AstraZeneca is a leading global pharmaceutical company with an extensive product portfolio spanning six major therapeutic areas: gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, infection, neuroscience, oncology, and respiratory. AstraZeneca's Canadian headquarters and packaging facilities are located in Mississauga, Ontario. The company also has a state-of-the-art drug discovery centre based in Montreal, Quebec. For more information, visit the company's website at www.astrazeneca.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Nicole Adams
Communications Specialist
BC Cancer Agency
604.877.6272 |
Steven Edwards
Sr. Manager, Therapeutic Area Communications
AstraZeneca Canada
905.615.6869 |
|