After Esophageal Cancer, Cycling 125km Is No Big Deal
From the hammock in his Waterdown backyard on the road to a full recovery after major surgery at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton for early stage esophageal cancer, Antonius Vanzantvoort is planning his next feat: to cycle from Toronto to Niagara Falls on August 17th.
After retiring from the injection molding industry, Antonius was healthy apart from nagging heartburn, which prompted him to ask his family doctor for further inspection. After a scope procedure was done to view and examine the inside of his stomach and esophagus, Antonius was immediately referred to the new Esophageal Diagnostic Assessment Program (EDAP), a regional program launched by St. Joseph’s Healthcare in partnership with the Juravinski Cancer Centre, Brantford Community Healthcare System and Niagara Health System.
Within 48 hours of his referral, Antonius was contacted by the program’s nurse navigator, who walked him through what he could expect next, arranged and coordinated his diagnostic and treatment appointments and made sure that any questions or fears he had were addressed. As the primary point of contact for patients in the EDAP, the nurse navigator offers more than just clinical care and physical support; she provides emotional support that reduces the worry and fear patients experience while they endure the wait from suspicion of cancer to diagnosis and treatment.
Within two weeks of his initial referral, Antonius was diagnosed with early stage esophageal cancer, seen by two top specialists, followed by major surgery to remove the tumor in his esophagus. Antonius believes that the timely and immediate care he received saved his life.
The concept of a centralized Early Diagnostic Assessment Program for esophageal cancer (one of the five most fatal forms of cancer in Ontario) emerged as St. Joseph’s Healthcare saw significant success with its Lung Diagnostic Assessment Program (LDAP), which launched in 2010 to provide a coordinated process for patients with suspected cancer to undergo timely access to diagnosis and treatment.
"Seeing the long delays that our patients often experience when waiting for diagnosis and the fact that many diagnoses will be too far advanced by that time, we realized the importance of turning this concept into reality," says Dr. Yaron Shargall, Head of Thoracic Surgery at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University.
Recognizing that a patient’s journey doesn’t end after the acute phase of their care, the EDAP program works to transform the patient experience by providing a coordinated approach to follow up care. The nurse navigator can connect patients to peer support programs through the Canadian Cancer Society, as well as access to home-based care to support healing.
"After my operation I lost a fair bit of weight. A homecare nurse and dietitian visited me at my home and I made such good progress, I no longer needed the visits," says Antonius about his follow-up care. "Now I’m making a full recovery and I’m determined to cycle with twenty of my friends in August. It’s only 125 km… no big deal."
The EDAP program is a breakaway concept in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer, believed to be the first of its kind in North America. St. Joseph’s Healthcare is looking forward to the results from an ongoing research study that is expected to demonstrate the positive effects this program can have on patient experience, quality of life and increased life expectancy for those diagnosed and treated over the next two years.
For more information, please contact:
Megan Bieksa
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
905-522-1155 Ext. 33037
mbieksa@stjoes.ca