BC Cancer Agency Laboratories
The BC Cancer Agency Laboratories provide specialized testing and diagnostic interpretations in the fields of Hematopathology, Histopathology, Flow Cytometry, Molecular Genetics, Cytogenetics and Cytology. These services are provided to the BC Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Cancer Centre, the Cancer Agencies located outside Vancouver as well as external clients such as referral hospitals and physicians. The laboratories are located at two sites in Vancouver – 600 - W.10th Avenue and 686 West Broadway.
The Laboratory located on West Broadway, called the Cervical Cancer Screening Laboratory (CCSL), provides Gynaecological Cytology interpretations. Associated with the provincial Cervical Cancer Screening Program, this laboratory performs the Pap screening for the entire province, with cytotechnologists screening approximately 600,000 smears annually. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing is also available. The West Broadway location also houses the School of Cytotechnology.
The West 10th Laboratory performs Histopathology, Diagnostic Cytology, Flow Cytometry, Cancer Genetics, Specimen Collection and ECGs. This testing provides diagnosis for our Pathologists located on-site who in turn provide interpretations to the Physicians. An important part of the service provided by this laboratory is Pathology Reviews and Consultations, in which the Pathologists’ use their specialty expertise to provide confirmatory or enhanced cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
Each day, the West 10th laboratory also performs venepunctures on approximately 150 patients receiving cancer treatment who require prompt testing to ensure their treatment can proceed. Many of these patients also participate in clinical trials.
The BCCA Site Laboratories receive samples for Flow Cytometry, Histopathology, Diagnostic Cytology and Cancer Genetics testing from BCCA physicians as well as hospitals throughout BC and outside the province. New tests and procedures are frequently added to the test menu and these departments providing cutting edge testing using state-of-the-art instrumentation.