The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The provincial government is spending $18 million to upgrade cancer care for Manitobans. The investment, announced Monday, will see cancer radiation therapy equipment replace three linear accelerators in Winnipeg and install one in Brandon. ÒNearly half of all cancer patients will need radiation therapy in their battle against cancer and this investment will put more leading-edge tools in place to support them,Ó said Health Minister Theresa Oswald. ÒWe are bringing in the next phase of technology, designed to deliver precision radiation treatment and help us keep wait times for cancer patients among the lowest in Canada.Ó Oswald said the new advanced linear accelerators will allow for faster delivery of needed radiation. The machines Ð highly specialized devices that produce high-energy X-rays or streams of particles (radiation) that target cancer cells Ð will facilitate use of the latest techniques such as image-guided radiation therapy without increasing waiting times for patients. The linear accelerators will minimize any downtime that would be spent on repairs and are consistent with the provinceÕs commitment to minimize wait times for radiation therapy, already among the lowest in Canada. Two major software systems that plan, record and verify treatments will also be replaced. These systems serve to electronically link all the physical components of the radiation therapy process, allowing for increased efficiency and safety by reducing the manual transfer of information. The investment in a new linear accelerator for Brandon will increase capacity for the entire province. The machine will be housed in the new Brandon regional cancer centre announced earlier this year. Construction of the centre will begin in the first half of 2009. Two linear accelerators will be delivered to CancerCare Manitoba in 2009-10, with the final unit arriving the next year. BrandonÕs linear accelerator will be installed following the construction of a regional cancer facility. The software systems will be delivered this month and implemented clinically in May 2009. Radiation therapy is widely used in the fight against cancer. Based on the experience of other Canadian jurisdictions and current treatment trends, CancerCare Manitoba estimates that 45 per cent of all new cancer patients will receive radiation therapy at some time during their overall care. Oswald said the new cancer funding is part of a provincewide commitment to renew high-priority health equipment in every region of the province. More than $85 million will be invested in specialized medical equipment across Manitoba over the next two years. ÒAll Manitobans will benefit from the strategic investments we will make in communities across our province over the next two years to strengthen care and improve access to advanced medical technology,Ó she said.
