Alberta Radiation Therapy Corridor Project, Lethbridge Cancer Centre

“This will provide patients with choices that are so much closer to home. “

“Cancer is hard. But, packing up every week, taking your luggage and personal belongings to stay in the cancer hostel and then facing this battle on your own during radiation made it even harder,” Susie Stewart painfully recalls.

That has been the situation for thousands of Alberta residents who require radiation therapy (RT), but do not live in, or near, a major centre.  For these cancer patients, it has meant travelling to either Calgary or Edmonton, for extended periods of time for treatment, often having to face the battle away from the support of friends and family.

Susie was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, a cancer that affects the lymph nodes, nearly 6 years ago.  She underwent chemotherapy treatment in her home city of Lethbridge, however she required radiation as the second part of her treatment and that was not available at home. She travelled two hours to Calgary for RT that took place every week day for two months, only returning home on the weekends.

“It takes time, energy and money to travel for radiation,” adds Susie.

Alberta Health Services is improving access to radiation therapy by developing three new treatment centres, in addition to the existing ones in Edmonton and Calgary.  The Alberta Radiation Therapy Corridor project is based on research that shows by adding RT to three additional cities in Alberta, the number of people having to travel 100 kilometres or more to receive treatment, would be reduced from 22 percent to 8 percent.

“This will provide patients with choices that are so much closer to home.  For instance, a woman who may have chosen to undergo a full mastectomy before they had access to radiation therapy closer to home, could now choose to have a lumpectomy and RT to treat breast cancer, “explains Brenda Hubley, AHS Project Liaison, Radiation Treatment Corridor.

The RT Corridor project is funded both provincially and federally. Opening in June 2010, Lethbridge is the first city with the new specialized cancer treatment centre, which will address the needs of southern Alberta residents. Red Deer is will be the second site to open a new radiation therapy treatment centre in late 2012, with ground breaking taking place as early as September of this year. Grande Prairie will be the third site of the corridor project and will follow the construction in Red Deer.

Aside from providing better access to Albertans living closer to the new centres, the RT Corridor project has the potential to improve access for every Albertans requiring radiation for cancer.

“As the various centres open, there will be increased provincial capacity as a whole to provide this specialized cancer treatment. A patient who may have a longer wait in Calgary to receive radiation therapy may opt to travel to one of the smaller centres to have treatment sooner,” says Brenda Hubley.

Susie Stewart has been in remission from cancer for four years, but she is glad the new Lethbridge Cancer Centre is opening.

“I’m excited for it to be here – to be accessible. I met a lot of people during my treatment who travelled from Lethbridge and it’s hard. It will be a relief for those facing the burden of cancer to be able to be at home.”