The Clinical Research Department at BC Cancer was established to be the central point of contact for investigators wanting to undertake clinical research at BC Cancer. 

We are putting together a team of dedicated and recognized experts to help guide investigators and study teams to achieve the highest quality research.  The goals of the department are to improve the quality and productivity of clinical research at BC Cancer while encouraging a culture of innovation, responsibility and accountability.  The Clinical Research Department is committed to ensuring BC Cancer clinical research is operationally efficient and of high quality.  We will achieve this by standardizing practices across the province, providing comprehensive education programs and quality and metrics reporting and administrative support for clinician-investigators.

From Research to Treatment

Many of the treatments we have in Canada today are available thanks to people who volunteer to take part in a clinical trial​.  
Find out more about clinical trials

News & Events

Natural Language Processing can reduce workload, increase timeliness and improve quality of breast cancer care

A new BC Cancer project has been shown to expedite the triaging of breast cancers and accelerate the initiation of treatment. 

The CAN-TRI-NLP, or a “CANcer TRIage system to expedite care with Natural Language Processing” project, was funded through the Ministry of Health's Innovation Pathway Program to explore a new expedited breast cancer triage system for faster initiation of appropriate treatment, chemotherapy or surgery.

Exercise improves survival for colon cancer patients

In a world-first clinical trial, a team of international researchers working with the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) have demonstrated that a structured exercise program significantly improves survival for colon cancer patients by reducing the risk of disease recurrence and new primary cancers.

The groundbreaking seventeen-year study involved researchers from UBC’s Faculty of Medicine as well as researchers at 55 sites across Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

New Inpatient Clinical Trials Unit Launches in Vancouver to Advance Blood Cancer Treatment Across BC

British Columbia’s first dedicated inpatient clinical trials unit for early-phase therapies in blood cancers has been launched by Vancouver Coastal Health in collaboration with BC Cancer physicians and scientists. Located at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), the new Hematology Research Unit will deliver revolutionary therapies — including first-in-human treatments such as advanced immunotherapies like CAR T-cell therapy — to patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant hematological diseases.

Recipients of 2024 BC Cancer Emerging Multidisciplinary Research Programs Announced

BC Cancer’s 2024 Cancer Emerging Multidisciplinary Research Programs supports research teams to initiate novel multidisciplinary research projects that aim to tackle well-defined issues or problems that affect patients living with cancer or at risk of developing cancer. Funding for the programs is provided through the BC Ministry of Health in collaboration with the BC Cancer Foundation.

2024 Emerging Multidisciplinary Research Programs Recipients: 

Recent Publications

Dynamics of molecular heterogeneity in high-risk luminal breast cancer-From intrinsic to adaptive subtyping.

Cancer Cell, 2025
Denkert C, Rachakonda S, Karn T, Weber K, Martin M, Marmé F, Untch M, Bonnefoi H, Kim SB, Seiler S, Bear HD, Witkiewicz AK, Im SA, DeMichele A, Pehl A, Van't Veer L, McCarthy N, Stiewe T, Jank P, Gelmon KA, García-Sáenz JA, Westhoff CC, Kelly CM, Reimer T, Felder B, Olivé MM, Knudsen ES, Turner N, Rojo F, Schmitt WD, Fasching PA, Teply-Szymanski J, Zhang Z, Toi M, Rugo HS, Gnant M, Makris A, Holtschmidt J, Nekljudova V, Loibl S.
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