Photo: BC Gov't

With half of British Columbians now expected to have cancer at some point in their lives, Premier John Horgan announced a cancer centre will be part of the new Surrey hospital planned for Cloverdale.

"The cancer centre at the new Surrey hospital will deliver high quality, comprehensive and compassionate cancer care services for patients and their families in their fast-growing community,” Horgan said Thursday.

The centre will be B.C.'s seventh such regional centre, with others at Surrey Memorial Hospital and in Abbotsford, Vancouver, Kelowna, Prince George and Victoria.

B.C. Cancer vice-president and chief medical officer Dr. Kim Nguyen Chi said the centre will use state-of-the-art digital medical tools and use two positron emission tomography scanners for diagnoses as well as other equipment for treatment.

By 2027, it is anticipated one in three new B.C. cancer diagnoses will be in the Fraser Health region, which includes Surrey. That figure is 50% greater than cancer projections for Vancouver Coastal Health for the same period.

Centre services are expected to include treatment, supportive care, research, education and innovative technologies such as virtual health. The centre will also be a hub of clinical and academic activities in order to attract top professionals.

"A cancer diagnosis is one of the most anxious times anyone could face. A cancer treatment centre at the new Surrey hospital means people will be able to receive compassionate care close to home,” Surrey-Newton MLA Harry Bains said.

The business-plan phase, confirming project scope and budget for the facility, is ongoing and expected to be finalized by late 2020. It will then proceed to procurement, followed by construction.