Part of a national research effort to explore how genetics, environment, lifestyle and behavior contribute to the risk of developing cancer and other chronic diseases, the BC Generations Project has already enrolled more than 21,000 participants. It hopes to net more than 1,000 more during a month-long stint in North Vancouver, where it will sign up participants through its assessment centre at 219-1940 Lonsdale Avenue.

Any BC resident aged 35-69 is eligible to join. Participation involves completing a health questionnaire, providing body measurements and donating blood and urine samples. Assessment centre appointments are an optional yet informative part of the project. They include bone density, body mass and blood pressure measurements, which are also provided to the participant. Individuals who are unable to come for an appointment can also join the study by signing up to receive a mail-in questionnaire.

“We’re reaching out to residents from Deep Cove to Squamish to join the study,” explains Dr. John Spinelli, the study’s principal investigator and a distinguished scientist at the BC Cancer Agency. “This truly is a meaningful way for people to make a lasting contribution to the health of future generations.”

The BC Generations Project’s North Shore assessment centre is funded by the BC Cancer Foundation. To book an assessment centre appointment, simply fill out our online registration form or call 604-675-8221.

43-year-old Bob Almasi from Chilliwack was the lucky 20,000th British Columbian to join the BC Generations Project.

Like most of the people who join the BC Generations Project, Bob’s family has been touched by cancer. Bob’s father died of cancer when he was 17, and his older brother has non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

We would like to thank the generosity of Bob and the 19,999 other participants who are donating their time to help create a healthier future for our children and grandchildren. We hope to welcome many more thousands of people to the Project this year!

BC’s Health Minister Michael de Jong visited the centre on Friday, February 24th to learn more about the Project and how it will contribute to cancer prevention research for many years to come. He also chatted with Chilliwack resident Carol Depner about her reasons for joining the Project. Watch the video to find out more about the Minister’s visit.

While our Abbotsford assessment centre is now fully booked, you can still join the Project using our at-home participant package. Just register online or give us a call toll free at 1-877-675-8221.

Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre

Fraser Valley residents, we need you!  After great success in our Victoria Assessment Centre, we are moving on to our next location in Abbotsford.

From Wednesday, February 15^th to mid-March, the BC Generations Project will be recruiting participants through its Fraser Valley Assessment Centre at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre at 32900 Marshall Road in Abbotsford.

If you wish to join the project by visiting our assessment centre, you must call us to book an appointment.  During your visit, you’ll have the opportunity to have a series of physical measurements taken, including bone density, blood pressure, grip strength, and body fat percentage.

If you’re unable to come for an appointment, you can also participate by signing up to receive a mail-in questionnaire and agreeing to donate a blood and urine sample.

It’s easy to get started. Simply call the BC Generations Project at 1-877-675-8221 to book your appointment or to receive your at-home participant package.  You can also sign up by filling out our online registration form.

Most recently, our recruitment drive in the Victoria region attracted 2,296 new participants who visited our assessment centre or completed at-home questionnaires. We have lots more planned for the New Year… so stay tuned!

We plan to have another assessment centre on Vancouver Island in the future, hopefully next year. At that time, at-home participants will be able to attend.

October 13, 2011

MLA Ida Chong measures up for the BC Generations Project in front of Victoria news cameras.

All British Columbia residents aged 35 to 69 are eligible to join the BC Generations Project, which will help researchers explore how genetics, environment, and lifestyle contribute to our risk of developing cancer, as well as other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The project is part of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, a national study that seeks to collect health information, physical measurements and samples from up to 300,000 Canadians.

“All of us have been affected by cancer in some way and the BC Generations Project is a chance to fight back,” said Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Ida Chong on behalf of Health Minister Michael de Jong. “Until the end of November, Island residents have a direct opportunity to sign up to help researchers explore the causes behind cancer and, ultimately, to help find a cure.”

The BC Generations Project began sending invitation letters to households in Victoria and Island communities last month. The response has been extraordinary, according to Dr. John Spinelli, BC Generations Project principal investigator and a distinguished scientist at the BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority.

“Our phones and email have been very busy with Vancouver Island residents contacting us to join the project,” he explains. “More than 1,000 people have already booked appointments, which is the best early response we’ve ever seen with our community outreaches.”

Assessment centre appointments are an optional yet informative part of the project. They include bone density, body mass and blood pressure measurements, which are shared with the participant. Individuals who are unable to come for an appointment can also join the study by signing up to receive a mail-in questionnaire.

When Victoria resident Sylvia McQuillan received her invitation letter, she didn’t hesitate to join. “Cancer is prevalent in our family and I have daughters and grandchildren,” she explains. “The more people participate in this project, the closer we will get to discovering the causes of cancer.”

Dr. Spinelli notes that in Victoria, the greatest response so far has been from women aged 60-69. “We’d really like to encourage younger residents—especially men—to step forward as well,” he says. “Having a diverse cross section of participants will be very important when we start using this information for research studies.”

“Cancer researchers see this as a hugely valuable resource,” says Dr. Ivo Olivotto, Vice President, Radiation Therapy and Functional Imaging, Vancouver Island Centre, BC Cancer Agency. “By collecting this sort of information from hundreds of thousands of people across Canada, this project will help us tease out how the interplay of genes, lifestyle, environment and other factors can be used to prevent cancer or select which treatments are really necessary for each individual.”

The Victoria assessment centre runs now until late November and is located in the Esquimalt United Church at 500 Admirals Road in Victoria. The centre is funded with generous support from the BC Cancer Foundation and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.

For more information about the study and how to get involved, please contact:

604-675-8221
Toll Free: 1-877-675-8221
www.bcgenerationsproject.ca