Jayne’s Story With the campaign to build the Regional Cancer Program moving quickly towards its goal of $60 million and the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre set to open in the coming months, several programs were able to open early with the help of the generosity of our community. And, while a cancer diagnosis is never welcome, the timing of Jayne’s diagnosis allowed her to benefit from many of the new programs here Southlake which were available to make her cancer journey easier. In April 2008, Jayne went to her family doctor after finding a lump in her breast. She was immediately referred to Southlake for an ultrasound and a biopsy, which confirmed a diagnosis of breast cancer. Less than two weeks after being referred to Southlake, she was meeting with her surgeon in Southlake’s newly opened Diagnostic Assessment Unit (DAU) to work out a treatment plan – the DAU was so new, that Jayne was one of its very first patients right after the DAU opened in April 2008. Thanks to our donors, Jayne had access to a service that is rapidly becoming a best practice in cancer care – an assessment service which expedites diagnostic tests in order to begin cancer treatment as early as possible. At another hospital, it would not be unlikely for Jayne to have spent up to six weeks shuttling between medical imaging centres, outpatient surgery units for biopsies, cancer clinics and doctors offices for all the tests required to confirm a diagnosis and establish a treatment plan. As Jayne says, the mental and emotional burden would have been unbearable for herself, her husband and three daughters. As is the case for almost 60% of all cancer patients, radiation therapy was recommended to Jayne as part of her treatment. She knew that, until the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre opened, radiation treatment would only be available in Toronto hospitals and she dreaded the daily trip which would be required for weeks and perhaps months. Again, Jayne’s timing was perfect. At the very time that she was referred for radiation treatment, Southlake opened the Radiation Oncology Clinic in July, 2008, which enables Southlake patients to access consultation and follow up appointments with radiation oncologists right on the Southlake campus, thus reducing some of the required trips to Toronto. In fact, Jayne reported that her radiation oncologist made his very first visit at her bedside while an inpatient at Southlake. In July 2008, a complimentary shuttle service, made possible through a generous donor, was introduced to operate between Southlake and Princess Margaret Hospital for Southlake’s radiation therapy patients. For Jayne, the availability of the service was a blessing – she didn’t have to rely on family members to drive her and, because of the frequency of the shuttle schedule, she didn’t have to wait very long to return home.