Funding supports purchase of cancer research equipment in BC

Vancouver, BC – The BC Cancer Agency says it will be able to purchase new early cancer detection equipment and develop new drug treatment therapies with $420,000 in new funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada.

“Science and technology are making huge advances in the molecular understanding of health and disease,” said Dr Simon Sutcliffe, president of the BC Cancer Agency. “Clinical medicine must parallel these advances if we are to see the benefit of improved health outcomes.”

The agency says it will acquire a micro-positron emission tomography (PET) scanner to accelerate the development of new cancer diagnostic markers and targeted drug compounds at its new $24 million Centre of Excellence in Functional Cancer Imaging (Centre of Excellence).