Program that sent British Columbians to the U.S. for cancer treatment ends

British Columbia is ending a program that sent cancer patients to the United States for treatment, saying provincial wait times have improved enough that they no longer have to rely on clinics south of the border.

A statement from the Ministry of Health says as of the end of February, about 93 per cent of patients are waiting less than four weeks to start their radiation treatment, an improvement from spring 2023, when that number was only 69 per cent.

It says the national benchmark is 90 per cent.

The province began funding as many as 50 radiation patients each week in May 2023 for treatment at clinics in Washington state, saying that in was necessary to ensure people got faster access to life-saving treatment.

The Health Ministry says since April 1, 2023, B.C. has added 224.6 full-time equivalent health-care providers to regional cancer centres, upgraded existing hospital space and expanded travel programs for people living in rural and remote communities.

The province says a total of 1,107 patients have completed radiation therapy in the United States through the program, but the use of that option has been in steady decline.

It says estimates are that approximately 104 patients would access the program over the coming year if it were to continue, and those people can now be accommodated in B.C.

"By hiring more specialists, upgrading our hospitals, and expanding innovative treatments, B.C.'s 10-Year Cancer Action Plan is working to improve wait times for radiation therapy and meet national benchmarks," Health Minister Josie Osborne says in the news release.

"Thanks to the progress we've made over the past two years, we can now safely wind down this temporary program and focus on getting patients the care they need in B.C."