Valerie Bellamy

I’m all-in, fighting against cancer!

Nova Scotia has the highest cancer rates in all of Canada. 1 in 3 patients will not survive. 

I could be the 1 in 3. I started my cancer journey while training for last year's ride—my diagnosis: stomach cancer.

I've made it through pre-op chemo and a total gastrectomy (full stomach removal). I'm currently in post-op chemo.

The kicker is the pathology back from my surgery indicates that my pre-op chemo had no effect. Because my cancer spread, I have a higher chance of recurrence due to possible cell shed during the surgery. My medical oncology team don’t have another chemo option for me at this time. Stomach cancer isn’t prevalent in North America…there isn’t a lot of research done here, especially on cancer possibly resistant to FLOT (the standard chemo cocktail in Nova Scotia for stomach cancer).

Our BMO Ride for Cancer community is rallying like never before to introduce liquid biopsy technology that will help determine if a patient’s cancer is cured, if it has returned, and, if so, how best to treat it.

On Saturday, September 28, 2024, I’m riding alongside a community with one common goal: transforming local cancer care at the QEII Health Sciences Centre.  

Faster diagnosis saves lives, which is why BMO Ride for Cancer is on a mission to bring rapid cancer detection and monitoring to patients who have already undergone treatment. With a simple blood test that can happen anywhere in the province, QEII experts will use this revolutionary technology to uncover whether patients are cancer-free after surgery and the earliest signs if their cancer has returned.

This technology will be a game-changer. Life-changing benefits include:

• improving survival rates and providing potential cures with earlier detection and personalized treatment options;
• unlocking access to more clinical trials;
• sparing patients from unnecessary treatments and harmful side effects;
• keeping care closer to home and ensuring equitable access, as patients can undergo a simple blood test in any community in Nova Scotia;
• reducing the number of visits required to the QEII, which ultimately impacts wait times;
• providing critical answers about a patient’s cancer sooner, helping to relieve anxiety and worry; and much more.

This could be a game-changer for me. Once I’m done this spring, I have 5 years of CT scans (or worse...laparoscopies) and follow-up appointments with my oncology team. If they see no evidence of disease in 5 years, they will declare me cancer-free. That's 5 years of stress and worry. 

By supporting my ride today, you are joining a community dedicated to moving the needle in cancer care for Nova Scotians. Your support will pave the way for a future of hope for all of us.

Are you ready to save lives?

To learn more about liquid biopsy technology and the impact your critical donation will have, click here.