By pushing the envelope and not accepting the status quo, The Princess Margaret is making research discoveries that are beyond the cutting edge.
Cancer was once thought to be an incurable disease, with surgery the only treatment option. Today, in Canada, the five-year survival rate for all cancers is 64 per cent, compared to 50 per cent in the 1980s and only 25 per cent in the 1940s.
Public education and early detection screening programs have helped to increase survival rates, as have technological innovations and scientific breakthroughs at institutions like Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, one of the world’s top 5 cancer research centres.
The Princess Margaret has the largest single site radiation medicine program in North America, and one of the best radiation medicine programs in the world.
Still, cancer remains a major threat and leading cause of death. In Canada, one in four people will die of cancer and two in five will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. As our population ages and people live longer, we can expect cancer rates to increase, making ongoing research and research funding a top priority.
Mediaplanet recently spoke with Dr. Keith Stewart, Director, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and VP Cancer, University Health Network, to learn more about some of the innovations that help make The Princess Margaret a leader in cancer research and care.
Q&A
Dr. Keith Stewart
Director, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
& VP Cancer, University Health Network
What’s new in early detection?
We recently launched a clinical study for a simple, liquid biopsy, which is basically a blood test, that can detect early signs of 50 different cancers and the organ from which they arise, sometimes before they appear. These allow us to catch more cancers earlier and in a less invasive way.
Another area is in genetic screening. New evidence suggests that having been born at increased genetic risk is found in about 10 per cent of cancer cases, so we’re expanding our inherited risk genetic testing to all new breast cancer patients at The Princess Margaret as part of a new program, the first of its kind in Canada. This will enable clinicians to identify the most effective treatments for individual breast cancer patients as well as identify higher-risk family members.
What’s occurring in cancer surgery and how does it benefit patients?
Surgery is still very much the mainstay in treating many cancers found in solid organs, such as the lungs, prostate, and colon. This year our surgeons acquired new advanced surgical robotics which let them accomplish some North American firsts in colorectal and gynaecologic surgery. These robots make it easier for surgeons to operate on hard-to-reach parts of the body, while patients experience less pain, blood loss, and shorter recovery times.
What about the area of medical oncology?
Our focus is reducing dependence on traditional chemotherapy which has many toxicities, so our advances here are twofold. The first is in molecular targeting or precision oncology, which is studying the genome of the cancer cell and determining which therapies will work best for that cancer. The second is immunotherapy, which is essentially harnessing the body’s own immune system to attack the cancer using antibody therapies or, increasingly, cellular therapies such as Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell (CAR-T) therapy. We’re already using CAR-T for blood cancers like lymphoma and myeloma, and our researchers are studying its effectiveness against other cancers like melanoma.
Radiation is still used in about 50 per cent of cancer cases. How is The Princess Margaret leading in radiation treatment?
The Princess Margaret has the largest single site radiation medicine program in North America, and one of the best radiation medicine programs in the world. This year we’ve added HyperSight imaging, making us one of only three centres in the world to use this technology. HyperSite provides a clearer image of the area that’s being radiated and therefore a more precise way to deliver radiation.
Why is donor support so important?
This is an incredibly exciting time in cancer research and care. In the last 10 years things have dramatically improved in early diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. We couldn’t do it without the support of donors who help fund our research and help drive important innovations.
To learn more, please visit thepmcf.ca.
