Why some British Columbians can’t or won’t access cross-border cancer care [Video]

New data from the B.C. Cancer agency reveals how many British Columbia patients are taking advantage of a two-year government program that provides coverage for faster radiation therapy in Bellingham.

While the numbers are not as high as the government initially forecast, B.C. Cancer insists the program is operating at full capacity and helping reduce cancer wait times.

Data from B.C. Cancer provided to CBC News shows that 869 patients completed radiation therapy in Bellingham between June 2023 and June of this year. Another 37 are currently undergoing treatment.     

It’s a bit more of a complete picture than the figures released by the Health Ministry which showed 599 people had received radiation therapy as of March. 

When the two-year program was announced in May of last year, Health Minister Adrian Dix estimated that up to 2,400 patients a year would skip the queue in B.C. for faster treatment in Bellingham. …