Cancer care in northwestern Ontario is receiving a significant boost.
The provincial government is investing up to $9.3 million to support the expansion of cancer care services at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre.
Roughly 3,100 square feet of hospital space has been renovated to house a new Pet-Ct Scanner (Positron Emission Tomography-Computerized Tomograph) used in diagnostics and the expansion of the linear accelerator (LINAC) service from two to three units, increasing the hospital patient capacity.
LINAC is a device used to deliver a type of radiation treatment that targets tumours and destroys cancer cells.
“So radiation is an old treatment for cancer, it’s actually one of the oldest that we have, but it’s still effective, highly effective and it’s still highly relevant,” explained Chief of Oncology, Dr. Joseph Del Paggio. “I think now we’ll be able to increase the efficiency of these units, and so what that means is less time for patients here in the hospital and more time for them to spend outside of this place where life really matters.”
“Couple this with our PET-CT, we now have increased our diagnostic capabilities here at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center, so this is what will optimize the delivery of cancer care to our beautiful northern Ontario population.”
Thunder Bay’s health science centre is one of 14 regional cancer centres in the province, that screen for, diagnose and treat cancer.
