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B.C. most cancers sufferers have began arriving at one in every of two U.S. clinics this week for radiation remedy, in response to the lead oncologist on the North Cascade Most cancers Middle in Bellingham.

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“Now we have began to see sufferers beneath this program already this week,” stated Dr. Alexei Polishchuk, one of many three full-time radiation oncologists who runs the clinic. “So it appears to be working very effectively.”

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Polishchuk didn’t say what number of sufferers arrived or what number of extra sufferers are anticipated within the coming days.

The sufferers went by way of their preliminary session, he stated, and can wait between 10 days and two weeks to begin radiation remedy. Meaning sufferers will doubtless return residence and make a second journey to Bellingham to begin remedy.

Final month, Well being Minister Adrian Dix introduced that beginning Might 29, about 20 per cent of these in B.C. needing radiation remedy can be eligible for remedy at both the PeaceHealth St. Joseph Most cancers Middle or the North Cascade Most cancers Middle.

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The hope was that sending as much as 50 prostate most cancers and breast most cancers sufferers per week, or an estimated 4,800 over the subsequent two years, to the U.S. would deal with the backlog right here in B.C., which has the longest most cancers ready occasions within the nation.

The Ministry of Well being stated as of June 4, 58 most cancers sufferers had been recognized as eligible to obtain remedy within the U.S. Of these, 13 had turned down the supply both as a result of they wished to proceed care in B.C. or weren’t in a position to cross the border or had a companion who couldn’t.

The Ministry of Well being didn’t present up to date figures Thursday on what number of B.C. most cancers sufferers travelled to Bellingham this week.

The province is footing the invoice for journey and lodging prices for the sufferers and one assist particular person to affix them.

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The North Cascade Most cancers Middle, which has been working since April of 2022, has one linear accelerator — the tools that delivers the radiation remedy — that may deal with between 45 and 50 sufferers a day, stated Polishchuk, who grew up in Vancouver however accomplished medical college within the U.S. and has been practising drugs in Bellingham since 2016. The clinic at present sees 30 to 35 sufferers a day which leaves capability to see an extra 15 B.C. sufferers a day, he stated.

Beginning Might 15, B.C. Most cancers oncologists within the six most cancers centres throughout the province started informing their sufferers in regards to the choice to obtain radiation remedy remedy in Bellingham. Referrals for clinically applicable candidates are despatched to the B.C. Most cancers assist group.

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B.C. Most cancers’s chief medical officer, Dr. Kim Nguyen Chi, advised Postmedia Information in Might the company is concentrating on individuals who would have 5 consecutive days of remedy, thus limiting the time they’re away from residence.

Camille Currie, B.C. Inexperienced candidate for the Langford-Juan de Fuca byelection and founding father of well being advocacy community B.C. Well being Care Issues, stated she’s not shocked few individuals have volunteered to journey to Bellingham.

“I feel that speaks to the considerations that I actually raised and that different physicians raised, being that most cancers is an extremely tough factor to undergo. Radiation remedy shouldn’t be a stroll within the park,” stated Currie, who watched two members of the family undergo remedy.

“To undergo one thing like that with out having a assist system round you I feel can enhance the worry that individuals have about even with the ability to survive the remedy.”

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Polishchuk stated he is aware of radiation remedy is a aggravating expertise, sohich is why he and his fellow oncologists are doing their greatest to make B.C. sufferers really feel comfy.

“All of these sufferers truly can have seen a radiation oncologist in B.C. earlier than they’re referred right here, so already there’s a preliminary dialogue and a preliminary plan that has taken place,” he stated. “So usually these sufferers will know what to anticipate and we do our greatest to mainly implement the plan that has been proposed for them.”

A current Leger ballot for Postmedia Information discovered that a lot of British Columbians would contemplate leaving Canada to get medical care: 39 per cent would positively or in all probability contemplate doing so for a medical process.

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An extra 26 per cent stated they had been undecided, leaving solely 35 per cent who would rule it out.

Whereas solely 19 per cent would contemplate leaving Canada for a beauty medical process, 23 per cent would contemplate going overseas for surgical procedure, 25 per cent for a dental process and 26 per cent for medical diagnostic work.

Critics of the plan to ship sufferers to the U.S., together with the previous head of B.C. Most cancers, say it’s an admission that the B.C. system has didn’t cope with the inflow of most cancers instances that oncologists have been warning the province about for greater than a decade.

It’ll price the province thrice as a lot to deal with sufferers within the U.S.: $12,277 for a affected person receiving 5 fractions of radiation remedy in comparison with $3,854 right here in B.C. These figures don’t embrace journey and lodging prices, which the province pays for.

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The province has budgeted $39 million a 12 months for the two-year program.

kderosa@postmedia.com

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