Advancing blood cancer care through clinical research
Improving patient outcomes means expanding access to the most advanced care available. New clinical research capacity is helping people with blood cancer access treatments that can lead to better results.
We have opened British Columbia’s (B.C.) first dedicated inpatient clinical trials unit for early-phase blood cancer therapies, bringing leading-edge treatments closer to home for patients who need new options.
Located at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), the new Hematology Research Unit delivers next generation therapies, including first in human immunotherapies, to people living with relapsed or treatment-resistant hematological diseases. For many patients, access to these trials represents something powerful: the possibility of a different future.
Embedded within British Columbia’s Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program, the purpose-built unit supports complex clinical trials that depend on seamless collaboration among hematologists, critical care teams, specialized nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals. This integrated model ensures patients receive both innovative treatment and compassionate, high-quality care.
“The Hematology Research Unit represents a critical step in expanding access to innovative cancer treatments for patients in B.C.,” says Dr. Kevin Song, Director, Leukemia/BMT Program of BC. “It gives people with few remaining options a chance to benefit from the latest advances in therapy, without having to leave the province.”
The unit includes three private inpatient rooms, one with flexible outpatient capacity, and is fully integrated into the program’s operations. It supports both industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated trials, strengthening B.C.’s ability to advance world-class research while keeping patient needs at the centre of care.
Funded by $5 million in philanthropic support through the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation’s Greater Than Cancer campaign, the Hematology Research Unit enhances provincial research capacity and deepens our partnerships with academic and industry collaborators.
For patients like Helene Lalonde, the impact is deeply personal. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma at age 49, she remembers the uncertainty she faced.
“When I was diagnosed, my life expectancy was three to five years. After an unsuccessful stem cell transplant, my physician at VGH encouraged me to join a clinical trial. I knew I had to do it, and getting in felt like hitting the jackpot.”
More than 13 years later, Helene continues to live a full, active life.
“With the addition of the Hematology Research Unit, more patients like me get a lifeline through access to treatments that can truly change lives.”
