PEOPLE living with cancer and their caregivers throughout B.C. now have access to accommodation and support services at the Canadian Cancer Society’s new Centre for Cancer Prevention and Support.
The centre will serve as a leading national hub of research and innovation for cancer prevention and survivorship.
“A cancer diagnosis has touched nearly every family in B.C. and this new facility will help save lives through research leading to enhanced prevention, early diagnosis and supportive care,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, on Wednesday. “The centre is bringing together researchers, innovators, clinical support service providers, community partners, cancer patients and survivors to take discoveries from the lab and apply them to life, faster.”
The fully expanded and renovated 6,500-square-metre (70,000 square feet) facility is located at 575 West 10 Avenue in Vancouver. It is split into two parts: a patient lodge and an operations space with shared amenities.
The lodge has 32 rooms and 62 beds for out-of-town patients. The operations side includes space for research, clinical assessment rooms, offices and meeting rooms.
The shared amenities include a gym, yoga room, meditation garden, lounge and a demonstration kitchen for designing nutritional programs for cancer patients and survivors. The society has also reopened its wig and breast prothesis bank in the centre.
The renovated patient lodge opened on July 23, 2021. As of October 27, 313 patients and their caregivers have been accommodated there while receiving cancer treatment at nearby facilities. The operations side opened on November 8. No treatment or diagnosis is provided at the centre.
The setup of the centre allows for research results to come in more rapidly. For example, a nutrition research project carried out on one side of the building can be tested in the demonstration kitchen and implemented with patients at the lodge with immediate feedback for further implementation or research.
Plans are also underway to fill gaps and provide support to underserved populations, such as adolescents, young adults, advanced cancer patients and cancer survivors.
The Centre for Cancer Prevention and Support is a $26-million project funded by a $10-million grant from the Province and a $16-million commitment from the Canadian Cancer Society supported by donations from the community.
Over time, the Canadian Cancer Society anticipates that the centre will become a national leader in research and innovation for cancer prevention and survivor support by connecting discoveries more rapidly to prevention and support programs.
Selina Robinson, MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville and Minister of Finance, said: “As a cancer survivor, I understand first-hand the sheer toll this disease takes, not only on the patients but on their families and loved ones. With this new centre, thousands of people living with cancer and their loved ones throughout B.C. will be able to access the new patient lodging facility, giving them a comfortable and specialized place to stay while they undergo cancer treatment in Vancouver.”
Learn More:
For more information on the Canadian Cancer Society, visit:Â www.cancer.ca
For more information on the Centre for Cancer Prevention and Support, visit:
https://cancer.ca/en/research/
