Breakthroughs come along every so often in the fight against cancer.

It’s because of breakthroughs like the “Hickman line,” a game-changer for intravenous treatments developed by Dr. Robert Hickman in the 1970s, and the drug Gleevec, formulated by Dr. Brian Druker and in use since the early 2000s, that San Juan Island’s Shann Weston discovered the odds of survival for one diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and that person’s quality of life, are much better today than they were just a decade ago.

Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in early 2013, Weston shared her “survivor’s story” as part of the 2014 Relay for Life fundraiser Saturday, Sept. 27, as well as how a physician’s assistant told her (“without irony”) that even though cancer is a tough disease, this is a good time to have leukemia.

“Dr. Druker discovered how to break the fusion that was causing life destroying cell growth for patients who had chronic myeloid leukemia, a disease that used to kill 100 percent of the people who had it,” Weston said. “And he was able to do it without harming healthy cells… So when that (physician’s assistant) said I was lucky, indeed I was, because Gleevec was available to me.”

Luckier than some, perhaps, but Weston is among a growing number of islanders who, along with family, friends and caregivers, live with cancer every day. Many are now able to do so much closer to home, thanks to Peace Island Medical Center’s cancer clinic, local support programs, blood drives and fundraisers like Relay For Life.

The number of patients receiving treatment at the PIMC cancer clinic far exceeds early expectations, according to longtime registered nurse Dawn Alger, who specializes in oncology and manages the clinic. Expect four to five patients a week is what she was told when she joined PIMC.

“Our numbers have increased dramatically,” Alger said. “We’re seeing 25-30 patients a week now.”

Raising money for research that leads to breakthroughs is only one of the goals of Relay For Life, according to Jeff Weatherbie of the American Cancer Society, a Relay for Life specialist based in Everett. The annual fundraiser helps support education, local programs and specialty items for patients, from comfort to clothes to wigs.

Friday Harbor Relay for Life had raised $15,000 even before the event officially got under way at its new home, the Friday Harbor fairgrounds. The event typically generates the majority of donations collected at the yearly benefit, Weatherbie said.

And the change in venue, and date? To make participation at Relay For Life more convenient and more of a “community event.”

Previously, Relay For Life took place in mid-to-late July and outdoors, at the high school track and football field. Organizers hope holding the event in late September will allow more islanders to attend and expect the indoor venue to spawn innovative activities, like the musical performance this year by the One More Time Band.

In the meantime, the fight continues.