Our resources
The BC Cancer library provides information services for patients, families, members of the public, and health care professionals.
Library staff can help you find information about:
- Cancer treatment
- Clinical trials
- Coping with cancer
- Resources for children
- Cancer information in other languages
- Relaxation techniques
You can borrow books and audiovisual materials (DVDs, videos and CDs) free of charge for up to four weeks. If you live outside the Lower Mainland, the library can mail materials to you and provide free return mailing labels.
The library can also help you find reliable online information about your condition and treatment.
You may be thinking about using therapies in addition to conventional cancer treatments to support your health. These therapies are often called complementary and alternative medicine.
Complementary therapies are products and practices used alongside conventional medical treatment.
Alternative therapies are products and practices used instead of conventional treatment.
Examples include:
- Natural health products, such as herbs, vitamins and supplements
- Physiotherapy
- Massage therapy
- Acupuncture
- Traditional Chinese medicine
- Traditional Indigenous healing practices
- Healing touch
- Talk to your doctor before using complementary or alternative therapies during cancer treatment. Some therapies can affect how treatments work. For example, grapefruit juice change how your body processes certain chemotherapy drugs, resulting in levels that are too high or too low.
- Think about your goals. Are you hoping for physical, emotional, or spiritual benefits? Be cautious of therapies that claim to cure cancer.
- Learn about the risks and benefits. Review the research supporting the therapy and consider how reliable the information is. It is important to understand both what is known and what is still unknown.
- Use therapies at safe doses. More is not always better.
- Check the training, credentials and experience of the practitioner. Also consider the cost, as many complementary and alternative therapies are not covered by health insurance plans.
- Find out what services are available in your community. BC Cancer centres and local hospitals may offer mind-body and exercise programs. You can also speak with a registered dietitian or pharmacist if you have questions about nutrition or natural health products.
- Once you decide to use a therapy, tell your oncologist and family doctor. This helps your care team provide safe, coordinated care. It is also important to monitor whether the therapy is helping you meet your goals whether it causes side effects.
The Complementary Medicine Education & Outcomes Research Program (CAMEO) is a partnership between the University of British Columbia School of Nursing and BC Cancer. CAMEO provides evidence-based information about complementary medicine to patients, families, support persons, and oncology health care providers through educational programs, publications, lectures, and individual consultations.
If you need an interpreter, Information and Admitting may be able to arrange one when they contact you to schedule your first appointment.
If you are having trouble eating or drinking, or if you are losing weight during treatment, ask your nurse or doctor to refer you to a dietitian.
Good nutrition is an important part of cancer care. It can help reduce treatment side effects and support healthy weight maintenance.
A registered dietitian is available by appointment for counselling Monday to Friday. Telephone consultations are also available.
It is natural to experience fear, anger, helplessness, or other difficult emotions when you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer.
Patient and Family Counselling Services offers support from professionally trained counsellors throughout your cancer journey. Counselllors work with patients, caregivers, couples and families, and facilitate group support programs.
Support may include:
- Talking about how to tell loved ones about a diagnosis
- Help with treatment decisions
- Support with palliative and end-of-life concerns
- Assistance with emotional and relationship challenges
Counsellors can also provide information about:
- Transportation
- Community services
- Interpreting services
- Financial assistance
- Prescription costs
- Other practical resources
All cancer patients, including those whose cancer may be cured, can access Pain and Symptom Management / Palliative Care services.
Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life for people living with serious illness and for their families. It helps prevent and relieve suffering through early assessment and treatment of physical, emotional, social and spiritual concerns.
Patients may visit the clinic for help with:
- Pain management
- Severe nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Emotional concerns
- Social challenges related to living with cancer
- Assessment of physical, emotional and social concerns
- A personalized treatment plan that may include medication and non-drug supports
- Meetings with members of the care team for patients and family members
- Referrals to community services and resources
- Information about pain and symptom management
- Information about advance care planning
Oncologists usually make referrals, but referrals are also accepted from other BC Cancer staff, family doctors, specialists, patients and family members.
Our pharmacy provides a full range of services for inpatients and outpatients.
Cancer treatment medications for outpatients are provided free of charge. The pharmacy also supplies medications for intravenous treatment and for patients admitted to hospital.
Additional services include:
- Medication counselling
- Medication reviews
- Drug information services
BC Cancer's Prevention team provides trusted information about healthy living. Research shows that healthy lifestyle choices can help reduce the risk of some cancers.
You do not need to make all your changes at once. Even one healthy change can make a difference.
The following cancer risk factors are linked to an increased risk of cancer:
- Tobacco use
- Poor diet
- Excess body weight
- Physical inactivity
- Sun explosure and tanning bed use
- Alcohol use
Visit our Prevention pages for more information about these risk factors. Cancer screening programs can also help by finding some cancers early.
Smoking Cessation Program
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do to support your cancer treatment.
Stopping smoking after a cancer diagnosis can improve treatment outcomes and reduce side effects from chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.
We ask new BC Cancer patients about their tobacco use so we can provide information about the benefits of quitting. If you smoke, we can connect you with QuitNow, BC's provincial smoking cessation program.
For more information, visit the Smoking Cessation Program web page.
Patients and family members can take part in support programs offered at any Lower Mainland cancer centre.
For more information, contact Patient and Family Counselling Services.
Telehealth use technology to provide health care services remotely. Videoconferencing is one example.
From a private location in your community, you can meet with a health care professional at the cancer centre without travelling there. Using a secure video connection, you can see and speak with your care team through a television screen, video camera and microphone.
Telehealth appointments may reduce the need to travel to the cancer centre every visit.
This service is available to many patients living outside major centres across British Columbia. To learn whether telehealth is an option for you, speak with your health care professional.
