The BC Cancer Foundation 2013 Discovery Luncheon - Abbotsford will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at the Abbotsford Ramada Plaza, to raise funds in support of the clinical trials program at the BC Cancer Agency Abbotsford Centre.
The Abbotsford Centre is a key participant in the advancement of cancer clinical trials in British Columbia which will help change the future of care through more effective treatment options.
The Abbotsford Centre has successfully established a leading edge program that currently oversees six clinical trials. While being treated for colon cancer, Susan Hiltgen participated in one of the trials which is seeking to determine if a sufficient amount of chemotherapy can be delivered in three months instead of the standard six.
“As a cancer patient, you schedule your life around your treatment, which then takes over your body with fatigue and other side effects,” said Hiltgen.
“If patients can be safely treated with less chemotherapy, they can carry on with life a lot sooner. Clinical trials are one of the stepping stones to improving the quality of life for patients, so it is very important to support the advancement of such initiatives.”
According to Dr. Muhammad Zulfiqar, medical director of the Clinical Trials Unit at the BC Cancer Agency Abbotsford Centre, clinical trials enable physicians to provide the highest level of care to cancer patients.
“Patient care has improved so much over the years because of clinical trials. The knowledge we have acquired from trials have contributed to the development of treatments for some types of cancer that were previously incurable, and have led to better survival rates,” said Dr. Zulfiqar.
“Clinical trial units across the BC Cancer Agency’s regional centres are some of the best examples of how the rapid translation of research discoveries into new, more effective clinical practices occurs. The clinical trials program at the Abbotsford Centre is therefore an extremely vital initiative to support,” said Douglas Nelson, president and CEO of the BC Cancer Foundation.
One in three British Columbians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. To purchase tickets for the BC Cancer Foundation 2013 Discovery Luncheon – Abbotsford, or to learn more visit www.bccancerfoundation.com/discoveryluncheonabbotsford, or contact Rachel Mitchell at 604 851-4736.