This project is the product of nearly two decades of planning. It was made possible through the cooperation, commitment and persistence of all stakeholders, including many members of the MUHC community. MUHC Cancer Care Mission staff have worked very hard over the past six years to support CISSSAT in the development of this project. This is now a completed project. “The opening of this center is proof that the MUHC can play an important role in network partnerships. Despite the pandemic causing some delays, the MUHC and Abitibi teams continued to work on the center. In the end, the project went ahead as planned and The two first patients were treated on November 14,” explains Dr. Tarek Hijal, radiation oncologist and Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the MUHC. A major project to improve access to care The Abitibi-Témiscamingue Regional Radiation Oncology Center is an important project. It is the only unit that offers radiation therapy services outside of major urban centers. Currently, some people in the region choose not to receive treatment because they have to travel to Gatineau or Montreal to access it. This new center will improve access to care and reduce the disparities seen in other areas of Quebec. . Currently, 40% of Temiscabitians diagnosed with cancer receive radiation treatment, compared to 51% in Quebec. Facilitating access to radiotherapy services in the area Each year, nearly 400 people travel outside the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region to undergo radiation therapy. This number will gradually decrease as palliative treatments, aimed at reducing pain or symptoms, become available to the population. Then curative care treatments such as pelvic (prostate and rectal), breast and lung treatments, as well as treatments combined with chemotherapy will be gradually added depending on the capacity of the groups. Many thanks to the radio-oncology and medical physics teams led by Drs. Tarek Hijal, Christian Boisvert-Huneault and William Parker. Thanks also to Christine Bouchard, deputy director of the Cancer Care Mission. Source: CISSS of Abitibi-Témiscamingue
