Waiting can be the worst.

Advanced breast cancer patients watch anxiously as weeks and months tick by between the discovery of a lump and the positive diagnosis and launch of a treatment plan.

Begum Chhabra knows it doesn't have to be that way.

The 59-year-old Surrey resident and employee of Royal Columbian Hospital was diagnosed last spring with breast cancer and ushered into a new two-year trial program that fast-tracks the initial appointments and treatment decisions.

"It took so much of the load off," Chhabra said. "It was very scary. But having this burden taken away made life a little bit easier."

She was one of the first patients to participate in the new Integrated Breast Health Service at the B.C. Cancer Agency's Fraser Valley Centre in Surrey.

The pilot program, which aims to slash the time and stress involved in the early stages of fighting off breast cancer, is open to residents across the Fraser Health region.

The central strategy is to bring together the key specialists – a medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and surgeon who will perform the biopsy – to meet with the patient together, at once.

That eliminates the need for patients to see a series of specialists separately, adding greatly to the time before the diagnosis is confirmed and treatment starts.

A key player is Breast Cancer Care Coordinator Colleen Sherriff, who helps patients navigate the system, bring the specialists together and coordinates appointments.

"We're trying to compress the amount of time patients spend to get to the diagnostic process and proceed on to the treatment process," Sherriff said.

She said the fast-track program can get women with newly detected breast cancer into treatment in less than two weeks.

"It may save anywhere from a couple of weeks to much longer than that."

There are huge psychological benefits of not waiting as long with a ticking biological bomb in your breast.

"The waiting is the part that's really stressful for the patients and their families," Sherriff said.

The program is so far being offered only to the 10 per cent of breast cancer patients with more aggressive fast-advancing tumours where a timely response is critical.

"These patients with advanced disease are those in highest need to have the appropriate treatments started with no delay," said Dr. Frances Wong, chief physician of the B.C. Cancer Agency's Surrey and Abbotsford centres.

Patients must be referred by their family doctor into the program, which was funded through B.C. Cancer Foundation donors and through the recent Weekend to End Breast Cancer.

So far 34 patients have started treatment through the new method and there are hopes it can expand to more breast cancer patients in the future.

Chhabra, meanwhile, says she is looking forward to returning to normal life – playing with her grandchild and regrowing her thick hair.

First she has to get through an eighth round of chemotherapy, surgery and breast reconstruction.

Her easy smile and optimism may be her most powerful weapons for the fight ahead.

"A positive outlook is so important," Chhabra said. "It helps that I feel I'm in very good hands."