Latest news with #CancerCare
Global News
6 hours ago
- Health
- Global News
Province to build cutting-edge facility for CancerCare Manitoba
Manitoba's premier and health minister say the province is taking its first step toward building a new, state-of-the-art headquarters for CancerCare Manitoba. Premier Wab Kinew said Monday that the proposed facility will be located on the Bannatyne health campus at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre. Plans for a new headquarters for CancerCare were originally announced in 2015, before getting cancelled two years later by the then-Progressive Conservative provincial government. 'After years of broken promises, our government is moving forward to build CancerCare for the future with a world-class facility that gives patients the space and care they deserve, and provides the resources cancer researchers need to help more Manitobans become cancer-free. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The new headquarters will deliver cutting-edge care, the best quality service, the newest techniques, all in a space with more room, more light, and more comfort for Manitobans living with cancer.' Story continues below advertisement Dr. Dhali Dhaliwal, a former CancerCare CEO, said Monday that a new facility has been needed, desperately, for decades. 'The current CancerCare building was full the day it opened in 2003,' Dhaliwal said. 'With all the dramatic advances in cancer treatments, Manitoba needs a facility that has the space and resources to deliver the most effective care to our cancer patients.'
Business Mayor
24-04-2025
- Health
- Business Mayor
Waking up with cancer – what you think about when you first open your eyes
Waking up the day after you've been told you have cancer is nerve-wracking enough, with all your thoughts swirling around in your head. Then you realise that there's also a very strong chance your finances will take a battering because you won't be able to work like you used to. So how will you survive? Will you have to sell your home? How will you manage to put food on your family's table? How will you pay the bills? I think that no matter what diagnosis someone receives, and how much money they have saved for the rainiest of days, they could benefit from someone to help them navigate through the issues. There's not only the benefits system to work through and see what you're entitled to as a cancer patient. There's also the conversations you need to have with your boss about your situation. You'll be pleased to read that my employer, the one paying me to write this piece, has been fantastic throughout my entire 'cancer journey'. I was on sick leave for a year and now write as much as can when I can but there's no pressure on me. Millions of others aren't so lucky and their employer follows their contract to the letter and then expects them to commit to dedicated hours after their sick leave is over. Having cancer doesn't work like that. Someone fighting the disease can't predict when they'll feel too tired to work because they've been awake since 4am with diarrhoea. They can't predict when they'll feel too sick to stare at a computer screen all day or if their legs will feel strong enough to build a brick wall at a building site. So it is definitely good news that work and finances are listed as key areas on the holistic needs assessment, which patients are supposed to have when they are diagnosed with cancer. But it just doesn't happen enough. When I got diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer two years ago the nurse who broke the news also gave me some leaflets about coping with cancer. I've been a journalist quite a few years and have interviewed people ranging from Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage to winners of flower shows. But my questioning skills don't extend to leaflets. They don't talk back so couldn't answer most of the questions I had. What I needed to be able to do was to be able to express to my medical team that one of my biggest fears wasn't the dying from cancer part, it was the surviving financially until I die part. This is why medical teams should be ensuring that they carry out a holistic needs assessment with each and every cancer patient they see. They need to reassure them that there are people who can advise them about how to speak to their employer and also about how to juggle their budgets day to day. It's a huge reason why I believe the Daily Express Cancer Care campaign is so important because we are calling for all patients to have a HNA when they are diagnosed, so they can highlight their fears about all aspects of their life with cancer. The worries about work and finances won't go away during a patient's treatment, unless they win the lottery. This is why the second part of our campaign is calling for discussions about a patient's worries to be an essential part of the consultation they have with their medical team before every treatment. Medical teams need to be able to help patients deal with all aspects of their life as cancer sufferers, and not just the physical aspects of the disease. The Daily Express's Cancer Care campaign is working to ensure that, whether it is stress about finances or something completely different, all patients get the mental health support they need. READ SOURCE
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Last motorbike Dave Myers rode makes thousands for charity
The last motorbike Dave Myers rode has raised thousands for charities at auction. 'The Hairy Bikers' star died in February 2024 aged 66, following a two-year cancer battle, and the 2023 BSA Gold Star he used in his last series for the cooking and motorcycling TV show - which also starred Si King - sold for £15,800 after it went under the hammer at H+H Classics in Solihull, West Midlands. Money raised from the auction will be going to CancerCare, NSPCC Childline and The Institute of Cancer Research - all of which were "close to Dave's heart". Dave's 58-year-old wife and widow Liliana is quoted by the Daily Star newspaper as saying: "I'm delighted that Dave's bike has found a new home and raised proceeds for charities close to Dave's heart. "It's a special motorbike with some special memories, and I hope the new owner will love riding it as much as Dave did." According to BBC News, the motorbike - of which type was first produced in 1938 - was on display at the National Motorcycle Museum, alongside the late star's riding uniform. Jason Woodcock - the organiser of the annual Dave Day event, which began in 2024 and saw £127,000 be raised for charity by the biking community as they travelled from London to Barrow in memory of the TV presenter - hopes the motorbike's new owner will ride next to him at a future event. He told BBC News: "Whoever you are if you bought that bike, I expect you to be riding next to me on Dave Day." Liliana - who is a hypnotist - admitted in February 2025 that she still found Dave's loss "challenging and painful" - but she still feels him protecting her from above. Liliana - who has penned the book 'Dave and Me - Life With and Without My Hairy Biker' - told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Loss is hard. "Having to learn how to live with it is challenging and painful at times. "He's been with me every day all along this year, I could feel his presence very clear. "Some days I felt protected by an invisible force, other days I felt his hand on my shoulder. "I've been guided by him to do things I never thought I would do."
CBC
11-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Risk of leaks, chemo drug spills prompt CancerCare Manitoba to stop using some IV pump equipment: memo
Social Sharing Manitoba's cancer authority has stopped using an infusion pump line — made by a company whose IV pumps have been the subject of recalls — over concerns about leakage and the increased risk of potentially hazardous chemotherapy drug spills, according to a memo obtained by CBC News. On Dec. 17, 2024, CancerCare Manitoba recommended community cancer care program directors and managers stop using B. Braun Cyto-Set lines in early 2025. "Over the last year, there have been increased risks and concerns brought forward," the memo said. B. Braun signed a service agreement with Shared Health in September 2021 to supply service delivery organizations, including CancerCare Manitoba, with large volume infusion pumps, IV and blood administration sets. The Cyto-Set lines are specifically designed to deliver chemotherapy drugs to patients through intravenous therapy. Issues with the lines include challenges with lack of compatibility with other IV equipment, leaking and increased hazardous spills, inconsistent supply with frequent shortages and lack of standardization with other equipment, according to the CancerCare memo. CancerCare "has been working with [the] Shared Health Supply Chain to ensure a smooth transition of product from the B. Braun CytoSets to B. Braun Infusomat primary lines and the current provincial contracted Baxter secondary lines," the memo states. The lines, or tubes, are hooked up to an IV pump which delivers fluids or doses of medications in a controlled way to a patient. The B. Braun Cyto-Set lines being pulled by CancerCare have not been subject to a recall. According to Health Canada, however, certain models of an IV pump made by the same manufacturer have been previously recalled by the company. Recalled pumps a problem, worker says The CancerCare memo said B. Braun Infusomat Space large volume infusion pumps have been in use in Manitoba for around a year and a half. Some models of these devices have been the subject of recalls in both Canada and the United States. One front-line health-care worker, whose identity CBC has agreed to keep confidential over concerns their job could be affected by speaking publicly, said staff are wasting valuable time to make sure the recalled pumps work properly. "It's just astronomical amounts of time and effort to infuse these drugs that traditionally we didn't even consider the time it took to use a pump or a line," the worker said. "They were just a tool that helped us do our job." According to Health Canada, B. Braun Medical Inc. notified the department on June 12, 2024, about a recall of its Horizon and Infusomat space pumps. "Devices distributed across Canada, including Manitoba, were included in the recall," Health Canada said in an email to CBC News. "The company reported that the backcheck valve of the device may malfunction, causing a backflow of medication from the secondary IV into the primary IV bag. It may also cause an inability to remove air bubbles from the tubing." Between Dec. 1, 2019, and Feb. 28, 2025, Health Canada got 259 reports related to the recalled pumps. Of those reports, 243 came from Manitoba, a Health Canada spokesperson said. Of the 259 reports received, one involved a death and 16 involved serious health deterioration. Health Canada won't say where in the country these incidents occurred, citing patient privacy. B. Braun fixing problem in new devices Health Canada said B. Braun is fixing the problem with the recalled pumps to prevent any issues in future manufacturing. Written notifications were sent to individual customers and hospitals who have received the affected pumps. "The notifications included specific instructions for clinicians for the continued use of the pumps, until new unaffected sets become available," Health Canada said. "B. Braun also specified that critical medications should not be given through second IV lines." In an emailed statement, B. Braun told CBC News it deployed a team of clinical educators to provide enhanced product training at health facilities in Manitoba. "As a result, the health systems in the province that implemented the recommendations, resolved the issues in questions," the company said. But the Infusomat pumps are still causing problems, according to some medical providers. The front-line worker who spoke confidentially said health-care staff members are struggling even with the workaround instructions shared by the company. "We're having tons of issues as far as alarms going off on the pumps, air in line, downstream occlusions," the front-line worker said. A downstream occlusion happens when a patient's arm is bent and the drug they're getting can't flow freely into their vein, but the worker said false alarms occur frequently with the pumps. The worker said even if they follow the workaround instructions, the pump is so sensitive that it continually alarms, preventing them from getting medication into patients. Health-care providers are encouraged to fill out incident reports when there are issues with the pumps, they said. The front-line worker said concerns have been run up the chain of command within Manitoba's regional authorities but they feel not enough has been done. "It's a tool we're supposed to use to administer these drugs and the tool itself is broken," the worker said. B. Braun said any facilities still experiencing issues with the Infusomat Space pumps and associated administration sets, or lines, "have been resistant to implement the solutions." "We have offered to revisit our education and training at those facilities on a number of occasions, including recently." Nurses union concerned Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson said they've been hearing from members about concerns with the Infusomat pumps and lines ever since the province started using them. "Issues with leaking, with improper valve closures," Jackson said. She said the issues were raised through labour relations officers and workplace health and safety committees. Jackson said it's a risk to have health-care workers or family members of patients inadvertently exposed to chemo drugs, because they kill both cancer cells and normal cells. "These are cytotoxic drugs and they affect everyone that's in contact with them," Jackson said. Jackson said dealing with the pumps is yet another challenge for nurses who are already faced with heavy workloads. "It's a constant worry that the dose is going to be incorrect. If it's leaking, how much did I really give? If I've lost a quarter of the fluid, how much drug did the patient get and is the treatment going to be therapeutic?" said Jackson. And when alarms go off on the pumps, she said it's difficult for nurses to know if it's because the device isn't working properly or because there's an actual issue with the delivery of a drug. "If this alarm is going off and I can't see an issue that needs to be troubleshot, then your question is: can I trust this equipment?" A spokesperson for Shared Health told CBC News it has engaged with "B. Braun to address end-user complaints separate and distinct from the September 2023 notice, some of which are related to Infusomat pumps and their accessories (CytoSet IV administration systems). "Each alert or notice prompts a process in which Shared Health investigates every possible cause and explores every potential remedy in order to continue to prioritize and protect patient safety and support front line staff." B. Braun pumps recalled in the U.S. in 2023: FDA In an earlier recall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in November 2023 announced B. Braun was recalling more than 10,000 Infusomat Space large volume pumps "due to faulty occlusion alarms." It said the alarms "may sound when no occlusion exists, causing the pump to stop the delivery of medications" which the FDA said "may be life-threatening or may lead to death" if a high-risk drug isn't given properly. "The FDA has identified this as a Class I recall, the most serious type of recall," the organization said in a news release at the time. At the time, the FDA said there had been 51 complaints, one reported injury and one death related to the recalled product. A Shared Health memo in September 2023 says Manitoba has a significant number of B. Braun Infusomat Space large volume pumps at sites and programs across the province. The document said supply chain management got a supply of replacement pumps with serial numbers that aren't affected by faulty sensors. Manitoba isn't the only jurisdiction using the pumps but use elsewhere appears to be limited. That's based on CBC News asking other Canadian provinces if they use the devices. Six responded. New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta said they don't use the recalled pumps while British Columbia said only a very small number were used. Nova Scotia uses a small number and hasn't had any issues in the last two years of using them. B. Braun said it investigates and monitors concerns like the ones raised in Manitoba.
