Province Takes Steps to Reduce Wait Time, Improve Cancer Care

Cancer patients in Nova Scotia will have a shorter wait and get better care thanks to upgrades at the Nova Scotia Cancer Centre in Halifax and the Cape Breton Cancer Centre in Sydney.

"Reducing wait times is a priority for me as health minister, and for the government," said Health Minister Maureen MacDonald. "We're going to be able to treat Nova Scotia cancer patients more quickly and provide them with better care."

An upgrade to equipment and addition of new equipment, will shorten the wait for many cancer patients awaiting radiation therapy. New and upgraded linear accelerators, machines that emit radiation beams to attack cancer tumours, will mean better care.

An expansion to the Cape Breton Cancer Centre includes a new concrete bunker that will house a second linear accelerator, expected to be operational this summer.

"Everyone is touched by cancer. That is why we are making sure that patients are getting care more quickly," Ms. MacDonald said. "We are putting in place the equipment and infrastructure our health-care providers need to fight this disease."

The average wait time for radiation therapy in Cape Breton is three weeks and four weeks in Capital District. The wait for a specialized form of radiation therapy called IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) can be longer.

To reduce the wait for these patients, the province has approved equipment upgrades to increase the number of patients who can be treated at the Nova Scotia Cancer Centre in Halifax.

Seventy-five per cent of the money for the new equipment and the Cape Breton bunker came from the federal government. Cape Breton and Capital District Health Authorities provided the remaining 25 per cent.

Cape Breton District Health Authority CEO John Malcom said the improvements are a sign of "turning commitment into action."

"It's exciting to see that the government promise is also supported by the generosity of our community through the fundraising work of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation."

Theresa Marie Underhill, chief operating officer, Cancer Care Nova Scotia said, "this an example of partnerships that work to improve patient care."

"Together with the federal government and Nova Scotia's two cancer centres, the province was able to make improvements that will benefit Nova Scotia cancer patients now and in the future."