Research Stories Archives - CancerCare Manitoba Foundation

Sean’s Story

It was only a month before Sean’s wedding, when life as he knew it changed forever.

Diagnosed with a rare form of aggressive, incurable thyroid cancer, the future now looked uncertain for Sean and his fiancé Aly.

Our donors generous past support helped fund the genetic testing that eventually led to Sean’s diagnosis.

Over the last two years doctors and scientists have been building infrastructure in the genomics lab to enable genetic testing at CancerCare Manitoba. They could not have done it without the help of our donors. The earlier patients are diagnosed, the better their chance at recovery – and donor-funded local testing helps speed their time to diagnosis.

In the fall of 2017, after qualifying for genetic testing, Sean learned that he carried the hereditary gene – MEN2A – which increased his chances of developing thyroid cancer.

Immediate surgery was recommended and within a few months Sean underwent a complete thyroidectomy. With the support of Aly, his family and friends, he seemingly made a full recovery and had one of the busiest years of his life. Preparing for a wedding, starting a new job and travelling the world, Sean was truly making the most of every day.

Then Sean’s life was once again turned upside down.

At his one-year follow up appointment, testing showed abnormal levels of calcitonin in his blood – a possible sign of thyroid cancer. Sean and Aly feared the worst. After undergoing more in-depth testing in June 2019, just over a month before his wedding, doctors gave Sean the heartbreaking news that he had advanced cancer.

“We met with Dr. Gordon, and that was the day everything crumbled apart.”

Sean’s cancer was in his lymph nodes, chest, trachea, lungs and liver. It was rare. It was aggressive. And there was no cure. The only treatment available could slow the cancer, but it would still progress. With a prognosis of one to four years, Sean knew he had to live his life to its fullest. His wedding to Aly proceeded 36 days after his diagnosis and is one of the happiest days of his life.

Sean’s cancer journey then took a turn in the right direction.

He was accepted into a clinical trial for a therapy that would specifically target the MEN2A genes causing his cancer. Incredibly, within four months of starting on the trial the tumours in Sean’s body had shrunk significantly, showcasing the tremendous power of treatments based on an individual’s genetic profile.

Our donors loyal support, which enabled Sean to be tested for this rare gene mutation at CancerCare Manitoba, has made a real difference.

The next, critical step in improving and expanding genomic testing for Manitobans requires support from donors like YOU . Processing genome sequences requires a tremendous amount of computer processing power – more than humans could ever do.

Gifts from donors will fund the $64,000 data platform that will enable research scientists to analyze a wider variety of genomic sequences and to do so much more quickly.

Doctors will use the software on an almost daily basis as they work to uncover rare and abnormal gene sequences. This data will help them identify appropriate cancer treatments and develop new therapies.

You can help expand genomic testing in Manitoba and help save lives.

Expanding the genomic testing program will allow more patients to be provided with treatments directly linked to their individual genetic circumstances – improving patient outcomes and ultimately saving lives.

Today Sean is focused on living his life to the fullest. He continues to undergo regular scans and bloodwork to monitor the cancer in his body. On his last scan, the cancer cells were nearly undetectable.

While this is promising news, it’s time-limited.

Eventually Sean’s body will become immune to the cancer therapy treatments and start to fight back. His levels of calcitonin will increase. The cancer will return.

Your gift today will ensure advancements in genomics research continue at CancerCare Manitoba so there will be another option available in the future for Sean, and for other Manitobans like him.

Being diagnosed with cancer has changed Sean’s outlook on life. The small things don’t matter as much anymore and he’s focused on what’s most important – making the best of every day along with his supportive wife Aly and his loved ones.

Please consider making a donation today in support of advancing research in Manitoba, and in support of Manitobans living with cancer like Sean.

You make local research a reality for Manitobans like Hargun

When paired with the latest advances in technology, your generosity is helping scientists at the CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute provide tomorrow’s treatments today to Manitobans. Dr. Jody Haigh and his team are researching what causes cancer cells to replicate and spread. By altering cancer cells at a microscopic level, they are better able to understand the role genes play in cancer development. This understanding may lead to development of new therapies targeting these genes. Thanks to the amazing generosity of almost 700 donors who responded to last year’s annual Giving Tuesday campaign, Dr. Haigh and other scientists have a new key piece of equipment which will help further their understanding: a new ultracentrifuge.

“The ultracentrifuge is essential to the work we do,” said Dr. Haigh. “It spins at a rate of 3% the speed of light breaking down and purifying matter to the smallest of particles. It allows us to speed up our research.”

Their research, enhanced by the new ultracentrifuge, may be especially significant for leukemias, the type of cancer affecting Hargun, the spirited 8-year-old we introduced you to last fall. Before being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at just seven years old, she was a healthy, energetic, playful kid who loved to dance and to play with her cousins.

“Hargun understands everything. When our doctor explained that Hargun had a form of blood cancer we were in shock. That night holding onto us, she asked if she would die. We had no answers for her,” said Hargun’s mother, Shelly.

Thanks to the support of donors like you Hargun was able to join a local clinical trial to treat her leukemia. After several long months in the hospital, including a very scary five week stay in the intensive care unit, Hargun’s treatment began to make a difference and she was finally able to return home. While Hargun’s cancer journey is not over – she still takes daily chemotherapy medication, has monthly visits to the hospital for intravenous medication and regular visits for invasive spinal taps – it is thanks to your continued dedication to furthering discoveries that Hargun and her family have hope for the future. Without your generous support of local cancer research, including equipment like the ultracentrifuge, Hargun’s story could have been dramatically different. It is thanks to your dedication and vision, we may yet see a future where Hargun and other children like her no longer have to hear the words ‘you have cancer’.

Donors make local research a reality

A global pandemic means almost everything changes, including how cancer care is delivered to Manitobans throughout our province. And with that change comes an opportunity to investigate improvements through scientific research. Thanks to the incredible support of donors, this research is underway.

Dr Kathleen Decker is currently leading a study exploring the impact of the global pandemic on cancer care in Manitoba.

Thanks to the generosity of the almost 400 donors who responded to the Foundation’s 2020 spring appeal, Dr Decker was able to launch research to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 related changes on cancer incidence, patterns of cancer care, time to first treatment, stage at diagnosis, and survival. In conjunction, Dr Maclean Thiessen is examining the experience of individuals receiving treatment and determining what is helpful and unhelpful as it relates to virtual cancer care.

“So far, the data analysis related to the patient experience suggests some changes related to the pandemic have improved the cancer experience for many patients,” Dr Thiessen said. “For instance, we are discovering situations where telephone visits are preferred by those receiving care as well as instances when they are not acceptable, both from a patient preference and a medical safety perspective. This knowledge can be used to intelligently structure cancer care to incorporate telephone visits even after social distancing measures are reduced.”

Dr Decker believes the results so far are extremely encouraging.

“We found oncology care in Manitoba rapidly adapted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with an emphasis on maintaining high standards of care and accessibility, while implementing procedures to protect patients and staff.”

It is through the generosity of donors that patients at CancerCare Manitoba can feel confident the highest standard of care will be offered to them through the most uncertain times. Patients like Garry Stewart, who has been undergoing treatment for lymphoma since 2018.

The high level of care he’s always received has remained consistent.

“Treatments, consults and testing – nothing actually changed as a result of COVID,” said the 68-year-old. “I believe I received excellent care throughout my CancerCare journey.”

He suggested the biggest change was having to do everything alone because of COVID protocols.

“Nothing replaces a real person being with you in difficult times. CancerCare Manitoba was very good at all times. Perhaps even better because the staff knew how cut off you were from your traditional supports,” he explained. The ongoing study is providing a wealth of unexpected knowledge. Thanks to the investment of Manitobans like you, results will be shared with health-care providers, patients and decision-makers over the next year to ensure Manitobans with cancer continue to receive the highest standard of care during and after the pandemic.

Thanks to donor support, Drs Decker and Thiessen were able to rapidly develop a research program to evaluate and learn from the changes to cancer care resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba. Important scientific contributions from this work will be built on in the future by scientists and clinicians both locally and globally.

The funding received from local donors was instrumental in helping our team transform the devastating event that has been the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity to learn how to better serve Manitobans living with cancer both now and into the future.” – Dr Maclean Thiessen

During the time of this interview Garry heard the longawaited words, “You are in remission.” After what felt like a lifetime, Garry is celebrating the news with his high school sweetheart and wife, Shirley, sharing special moments with the ones they love at their family cottage.

For Manitobans like Garry who have been in care during the pandemic, he is glad to know donors have made such important research possible.

“Both Shirley and I are very grateful to all the donors whose funding makes possible new research into delivering improved cancer treatments and care.”

Laura’s Story

Laura Lane wakes up each day knowing the cancer invading her body cannot be cured. It’s the daunting reality for this 62-year-old mother, diagnosed with ovarian cancer six years ago.

Donors’ past support and the hope it gives her helps Laura get out of bed each morning. She is grateful donors have contributed to a life-extending clinical trial she is on and thankful for their investment in research.

To ensure this research continues and evolves to make more discoveries, your investment is needed to fund new software for CancerCare Manitoba’s Research Institute.

Will you consider supporting this very important initiative to bring more hope to Manitobans like Laura?

Laura’s cancer is “high-grade”, the most aggressive and hardest to treat. It’s a common diagnosis in women because cells have often already spread by the time the cancer is confirmed. The result? A very low survival rate.

Adding to the complexity of ovarian cancer often being diagnosed late, it’s also drug resistant. Eventually chemotherapy stops working and the cancer returns. The reasons why this happens aren’t yet widely understood.

Thanks to the investment of donors like you, a talented team at CancerCare Manitoba is leading research which seeks to uncover the root causes of drug resistant ovarian cancer.

These researchers have learned 95% of high-grade ovarian cancer diagnoses exhibit “chromosome instability” which causes ongoing changes in cells, often leading to cancer starting, drug resistance and poor outcomes.

For their ground-breaking research, the scientists need tumour samples from women with ovarian cancer. Like many generous and altruistic patients before her, Laura wanted to do what she could to help. She unselfishly agreed to provide her cancer sample for this research project.

Through her personal support, Laura is a research partner to CancerCare Manitoba’s scientists, just as you can be.

To further their important work, they need imaging software for their lab computers to analyze the cancer samples Laura and other women have donated.

Your commitment will fund the $60,000 software which will enable the research team at CancerCare to make discoveries at a much faster pace. Monthly donors support this project and other important local research. Join other generous Manitobans and sign up as a monthly donor in support of local research today.

Led by Dr. Kirk McManus, ten lab members will use the software your gift will make possible to uncover the genes which cause chromosome instability. Your support will help them develop new therapies to target cancer cell defects.

Dr. McManus and his team are profoundly grateful and know they could not carry on their research without the support of donors like you.

They need your help to continue finding answers which will save lives.

Your gift in support of the imaging software will lead to more tomorrows for Manitoba women diagnosed with ovarian cancer like Laura.

For Laura, both the cancer and treatment she’s endured have been intense and taken a physical and emotional toll. Each good day she has allows her to spend quality time with her loving son and mother. And to read, garden and put her toes in the sand at her cottage. These quality moments and the gratitude she feels for donors like you bring a smile to her beautiful face.

Will you will consider making a gift today in support of advancing research in Manitoba and in support of Manitobans living with cancer like Laura?

Your investment funds local discoveries

Your generosity has enabled tremendous progress treating breast cancer, one of the most diagnosed cancers affecting hundreds of women in our province each year. You have truly helped save lives.

What if more women could be spared from ever having to face a daunting breast cancer diagnosis?

This is a key question cancer researchers and clinicians are asking. Thanks to your support, CancerCare Manitoba is helping lead research which seeks to find an answer. Research which will hopefully prevent women like Valerie Williamson from hearing the words “you have breast cancer.”

Your investment helped enable a talented team here in Manitoba to partner with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to undertake the GENRE study. Short for GENetic Risk Estimation of breast cancer, this study is the first clinical trial of its kind. It used a genetic test to predict a woman’s breast cancer risk and assessed if the test results helped her decision to take prevention medication.

“The traditional way to evaluate breast cancer risk is to assess clinical risk factors such as age, family history, age at first pregnancy and menopause,” said Dr Julian Kim, CancerCare Manitoba Radiation Oncologist and co-principal investigator of the GENRE study. “Through a genetic test using a woman’s blood, we can now more accurately predict breast cancer risk and empower women to make choices to reduce their risk.” Valerie, 77, qualified for the study because of her family history of breast cancer. One of her daughters had cancer over a decade ago and all of Valerie’s aunts also had breast cancer.

“I was relieved and eager to be a part of the study,” said Valerie. “I saw what my daughter went through and it was so hard. When offered the chance to participate, I thought ‘If there is anything I can do to help researchers learn and benefit other women, I’m all for it’.”

Prior to this trial, the limitations of older breast cancer risk calculators left many women uncertain if they would benefit from taking breast cancer prevention medicines. The blood test in the GENRE study provided individualized, gene-based risk estimates and researchers explored the impact this information had on decision making for breast cancer prevention. Would women who had genetic testing done have more or less interest in taking a breast cancer prevention drug? The answer to this question is key because prevention medication, which is both available and inexpensive, is known to reduce breast cancer risk by 50 to 65 per cent for women. Your continued commitment to research and clinical trials laid the foundation for this groundbreaking initiative. “The study would not have been possible without donor support of CancerCare’s clinical trials unit,” Dr Kim said. “The GENRE study is a real benefit to Manitobans and it will open the door to future studies.” Valerie is on the trial for five years and thankful your support helped make it possible. Like you, she is committed to doing her part to reduce the burden of cancer for the people we all know and care about.

Cancer has really affected my family so I donate to the Foundation annually. I am grateful for donors’ generosity and share their belief that supporting studies like this will lead to discoveries which help more people.” – Valerie

You are providing a lifeline to patients with dire prognoses

As told in the Foundation’s 2017/2018 Annual Donor Impact Report.

Precision medicine is the new generation of cancer therapy. Thanks to your tremendous generosity and the amazing support of our donors, the Foundation has been able to provide funding to CancerCare Manitoba and partners to bring this leading-edge treatment to Manitobans since 2016. Your investment is saving lives and for Kathie Kolybaba, your unwavering support is very personal.

Diagnosed in late December 2013 with non-small cell lung cancer, Kathie’s outlook was very poor. For the first few years after her diagnosis, she endured every treatment option available – surgery, radiation and a brutal chemotherapy regimen. Kathie says for several years, her cancer would respond to therapy, shrink, and then come back. It was scary and she was quickly running out of options. Precision medicine changed everything.

The person sitting next to you is more than 99 per cent genetically identical to you; it’s the one per cent difference that determines your hair colour, eye colour, whether you like the taste of cilantro, and if you get cancer, how you will respond to treatment. Until recently, patients with the same type and stage of cancer received a “one-size-fits-all” treatment but research showed that some treatments work better for some patients than others. Precision medicine is treatment customized to each person’s genes or features of their tumour. This both helps decide what drugs may work better for certain patients and also avoid the inappropriate use of therapies which are less likely to benefit. This approach increases both the chance of survival and the quality of a patient’s life. Because these new drugs have a very specific biologic target, they have fewer side effects and are generally less toxic to the whole body compared with traditional chemotherapies.

Kathie knows about the negative side effects of cancer drugs all too well. Before being treated with the new drug she is currently taking, Keytruda, she was exhausted a lot of the time.

“The drug I was prescribed made me so tired,” says Kathie. “I would have to be in bed all day after a treatment because it took so much out of me. I wanted to be lying down all of the time.”

Your commitment is helping Manitoba keep ahead of a rapidly changing landscape in cancer therapy. Since 2016, thanks to your investment, the Foundation has provided CancerCare Manitoba with $750,000 for precision medicine for patients starting with breast, skin, lung, colorectal and blood cancers.

In addition to the impact your support is having, the advancement of precision medicine in our province would not be possible without our close working relationship with a committed government partner — Diagnostic Services Manitoba. It is playing a key role in providing the appropriate testing for CancerCare Manitoba’s patients and in doing so, helping to improve outcomes for Kathie and others like her, just as you are.

Kathie’s oncologist, Dr Shantanu Banerji, is a clinician-scientist and Director of Precision Oncology at CancerCare Manitoba. Raised in Manitoba, Dr Banerji spent four years at Harvard in Boston studying cancer genomics, culminating with discovering a previously unknown mutation in triple-negative breast cancers. Sponsored by CancerCare Manitoba with the full support of the Foundation, he always planned to return to his roots to help build Manitoba’s cancer research program and put it at the forefront of personalized medicine. You – our donors – made this possible.

Just over a year ago Dr. Banerji successfully lobbied for Kathie to receive a new drug through a clinical trial based on her cancer’s expression of a particular protein. Kathie vividly remembers the day she received the life-changing news. “Dr Banerji literally came running up the stairs to tell me ‘you don’t have to take the drug you are on anymore. You can take Keytruda and it’s so much better!’” recalls Kathie. She has seven more treatments to go and thanks to the support of the Foundation’s donors, Kathie feels a renewed sense of hope. The treatment has been getting rid of her cancer, and this time it hasn’t been coming back.

“Kathie has completely responded to her new treatment and is just a few months from coming off treatment all together,” says Dr. Banerji.

Your support has enabled CancerCare Manitoba to establish the three pillars of a precision medicine centre – staff, equipment, and data analysis. And your continued investment in the Foundation is enabling CancerCare Manitoba to be a leader in the delivery of precision medicine and provide innovative care to Kathie and other patients much faster.

Prior to creating a precision medicine platform locally, multiple tests had to be performed in different provinces and some tests could only be done in the United States. Testing and receiving results which used to take eight weeks can now be done in just two, meaning patients spend less time waiting for results and are going on treatment sooner.

“Other than the three big provinces – Ontario, BC and Quebec – we are leap-frogging [the] others and becoming ahead of the game.”

Your tremendous generosity and support of CancerCare Manitoba has given Kathie a new lease on life. Reflecting on all she has endured the past five years, Kathie is eternally grateful she has our donors and her close-knit family by her side. Life was challenging enough for her as a single mother of three adult children. Add living with a dire cancer prognosis to her plate and it was overflowing. Her kids have stepped up in a big way, supporting their mom however they can including attending her treatments and learning as much as possible about their mother’s disease. They, like you, keep her going through this incredibly hard experience.

“If it weren’t for everyone who has helped me – Dr Banerji, Dr Butler and my surgeons, as well as my family and friends and Foundation supporters – I don’t know where I’d be at this moment in time,” Kathie says. “I am so thankful and looking forward to the future.”

Your support of local research saves lives

Cancer has been a part of Peggy Miller’s life for nearly thirteen years. The vibrant 69-year-old was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), a blood cancer, in 2008. It’s one of the most common cancers affecting people over age 65. CLL is rarely curable, a reality Peggy knows well. It’s very treatable though, due in large part to research which you have helped fund. Thanks to your support, Manitoba is internationally recognized for its CLL research and clinical excellence. “Research means everything to solving this disease. Donor funds are needed to make this happen,” says Peggy. For years Peggy’s cancer didn’t require any treatment but that changed in 2014. Fortunately, there was a donor-funded clinical trial available to her. This trial tested a new drug designed to prolong remission for CLL patients. Peggy received three rounds of chemotherapy which positively and tremendously impacted her quality of life. Six years later, she is doing amazingly well.

“I feel very fortunate to have been a study patient,” remarks Peggy. “I am so blessed to be ok after all these years and I’m grateful to donors for your support of research and trials.”

Peggy is living proof the research you contribute to at CancerCare Manitoba changes lives for the better. Simply put, your commitment has helped make advancements possible for CLL and many other cancers. “Our ultimate goal is to prevent cancer, detect it early, treat it better and improve the quality of lives of patients who are living with cancer. To do these things we need research,” said Dr Neil Watkins, director of the Research Institute and Hematology Centre at CancerCare Manitoba and the University of Manitoba. “None of the advances which have happened over the years would have happened without research support and donor dollars.” While research is sometimes viewed as a solitary pursuit which happens deep in a lab, that’s not the way at CancerCare Manitoba. It happens throughout the entire system, from scientific analysis to clinical trials and ultimately to care. This has not always been the case though. Research has evolved over the past number of decades – from basic science rooted in cancer cells to translational research which brings results to patients – thanks in large part to your investment. This approach and your support of local research are crucial to improving outcomes for Manitobans with cancer. “We are a comprehensive cancer centre and patients, scientists and physicians interact in many ways,” said Dr Watkins. “This provides a positive effect for everybody because we all understand what we’re here for and why we’re working so hard.” Donations targeted for local research have consistently shown excellent results as tremendous progress has been made for certain cancers, like breast and prostate. We can’t take our foot off the gas pedal though because for others like lung and pancreatic, we still have a long way to go. Thanks to your contributions, advances are happening for these cancers and there have been some very promising research developments in the last 10 years. Now more than ever it’s important to continue building on the research and treatment successes donors have supported at CancerCare Manitoba over the last several decades. “Research and innovation drive treatment. We’re striving toward tomorrow’s treatment. It’s not just the length of lives for survivors; it’s how they live. That’s the biggest change from decades ago to today’s approach,” said Dr Sri Navaratnam, President & CEO of CancerCare Manitoba. Your support of our broad cancer research program helps recruit and keep the best and brightest scientists and clinicians who are here in Manitoba searching for discoveries which ultimately benefit the people we all care deeply for.

“Having a comprehensive cancer program built on a strong research foundation enables us to attract top-notch talent,” said Dr Navaratnam. “Thanks to your commitment to the Foundation, we are able to have a huge impact on people’s lives.

Your generosity makes research and trials possible in our province. The end and most important result … more effective treatments and a far better quality of life for Peggy and so many others like her living with a cancer diagnosis.

Your generosity made this Canadian first possible

Donor generosity is enabling Manitoba to be a national leader. Thanks to your incredible investment, prostate cancer patients have access to leading-edge radiation treatments here at home. Your steadfast commitment is helping cure men living with this disease. Men like John Unger.

John reflects his prostate cancer diagnosis didn’t come as a surprise to him. What did come as a surprise though was there was an advanced treatment on the horizon – and he was first in line in Canada to receive it.

“When I got the diagnosis, I already suspected I probably had prostate cancer,” says John, a young-at-heart 70-something. “But finding out there was a new treatment which was going to make it a heck of a lot more acceptable was very good news.”

In November 2019, John began his radiation treatment using a new system – Calypso – which precisely targets cancer cells while limiting radiation exposure to the surrounding tissue. He is very grateful to donors, as he appreciates your support helped bring this technology to Manitoba.

The targeting capability of Calypso ultimately leads to much-improved treatment experience for the patient, one
which is considerably shorter and less damaging.

“Without Calypso, Mr. Unger and others like him would typically come in once a day for seven weeks and receive very low doses of radiation at each visit,” said Dr Boyd McCurdy, head of CancerCare Manitoba’s Radiation Oncology Physics Group. “Thanks to your investment, they now only come in once a week for five weeks.”

And because the delivery of radiation is so precise, damage to surrounding tissues, organs and even bone is almost nonexistent. It simply means thanks to you, more people will survive following cancer treatment.

“Calypso essentially decreases the patient’s chances of short and long-term side effects so they live healthy, long and normal lives and still receive excellent cancer control,” said Dr Rashmi Koul, Medical Director of CancerCare Manitoba’s Radiation Oncology Program.

So how exactly does Calypso work? It’s a real time tracking system for cancer cells. It uses three tiny beacons, each smaller than a grain of rice, inserted directly into a patient’s cancerous tissue. Calypso checks the position of the beacons 25 times a second as a radiation beam is being administered.

If the prostate moves more than the allocated distance – usually about three millimetres – the beam switches off. When the prostate moves back into the target area, the treatment machine will seamlessly pick up where it left off and continue with the radiation.

Calypso was initially used for lung cancer patients and now thanks to your donations, is the standard treatment here in our province for those with prostate cancer who qualify for this new treatment.

New ground is truly being broken in Manitoba and this would not be possible without your support. This leading-edge technology comes with a high sticker price, ringing in at over $400,000. Plus the beacons cost hundreds of dollars each. Donor dollars enabled CancerCare Manitoba to be the premier cancer centre in the country to purchase and implement the Calypso system.

Your contributions helped John in a very direct and positive way. He completed his treatment with almost no side
effects and is now living cancer free and very well. He has a contagious spirit and his grin widens when he shares all the wonderful times he’s having with family and friends. His message of gratitude to you comes from deep within his heart.

“To the donors who have supported the Foundation and made it possible to bring this new technology to Manitoba, I say thank you so much and please keep it up. And gosh, without you, what would we do?” – John Unger

Your support of research and clinical trials has helped many lives

Thanks to you, there is great reason to hope, as the vast majority of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will survive the disease. For others with advanced or metastatic cancer, the path is very challenging.

Your support of research and clinical trials has helped many lives and is integral to progress which will ultimately cure more men.

Every year in our province nearly 800 men will learn they have prostate cancer. It’s the most common cancer affecting males and primarily diagnosed over the age of 50.

Mark Domko, 57, is one of those men. He knows all too well what it’s like to live with a prostate cancer diagnosis. Five years ago a routine physical exam with his family physician took an unexpected turn. Very swiftly he was referred to CancerCare Manitoba’s Prostate Centre. Within one month, he had surgery to remove his prostate. This was followed by 33 radiation treatments. Unfortunately, that was not the end of Mark’s journey.

“My cancer is not gone. I’m in remission now but I know it’s inevitable it will return,” reflects Mark.

Despite living with this uncertainty, Mark’s outlook is positive. He’s very thankful your donations made it possible for him to participate in a clinical trial to treat his advanced cancer. And he appreciates your investment is essential to the Prostate Centre being a centre of excellence.

“Thank you for giving me another tomorrow. If it wasn’t for the outstanding care I received at CancerCare and your support, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Dr. Jeff Saranchuk, Medical Director of the Centre, leads the talented team which strives to cure Mark and others like him. In its fifteenth year, it provides world-class care to patients. Care which is greatly influenced by your commitment to research.

“Thanks to donors’ support, the Centre has a clinical trials team which contributes to our patients being the second most likely to participate in a clinical trial in the country,” says Dr. Saranchuk. “It also has a donor-funded tumour bank which links tissue to patient outcomes. The huge advantage of being able to correlate biologic with clinical data is we can get to the bottom of many complex issues.”

The Prostate Centre team is always seeking to improve outcomes for its patients. Acquiring technology which enhances the quality of care is a top priority. He is very grateful your generosity enabled the Centre to recently buy new state-of-the-art equipment.

“Thanks to the many donors who supported the 2018 Gold-Plated Evening for men’s cancers event, we received the funds we needed to purchase a MRI Fusion Biopsy machine,” Dr. Saranchuk said. “This $150,000 piece of specialized equipment accurately detects and diagnoses complex prostate tumours. It is essential to help save more men with this disease.”

For Mark, every day spent enjoying life with his wife, family and friends is a gift. He is grateful for your kindness and compassion.

Donor generosity has been critical to forward our HALO research program

Andy Cotton has truly defied medical odds. Over the past four years, the 66-year-old has lived through prostate cancer, a heart attack and a stem cell transplant to treat his multiple myeloma. And then this past January, immediately following chemotherapy Andy was struck with sepsis, a life-threatening infection. His wife Tricia was told he would not live. Terrified, she tried to prepare herself for the worst.

Eight months later, Andy and Tricia are enjoying summer on their quaint rural Manitoba property. Their bond is obvious and equally apparent is their gratitude to you for yourcontinued support of life-saving research and clinical trials.

“We are so thankful to all the people who donate to help people like me,” says Andy.

Andy is one of the fortunate patients with cancer or a blood disorder. Many do not survive what he did. Cancer treatments have side effects and can be very hard on the body. Due primarily to chemotherapy, infection is the most common cause of death in people with cancer. Thanks to your commitment, a CancerCare Manitoba and internationally recognized hematologist and clinician-scientist is leading a global trial which he is optimistic will help improve survival for more people like Andy.

“Donor generosity has been critical to forward our HALO research program which is evaluating an inexpensive drug to treat severe infections,” says Dr Zarychanski.

The HALO trial (a.k.a. The Heparin anticoagulation to improve outcomes in septic shock trial) is targeting infections which are unfortunately a frequent result of cancer treatments. The trial is evaluating if an inexpensive and widely available blood thinning and anti-inflammatory drug can improve survival for people who suffer from these life-threatening infections. HALO is the only multi-country trial to be conducted by researchers in CancerCare Manitoba.

A trial the magnitude of HALO requires significant investment. Your past donations have offset trial expenses for patients treated at CancerCare Manitoba. They have also been successfully leveraged to secure national funding. This combined funding is expected to facilitate the enrollment of approximately 500 patients worldwide. Dr Zarychanski’s plans to continue to grow the study and eventually enroll nearly 3,000 patients would not have been possible without the initial investment from generous donors such as you.

When Andy and Tricia recall his harrowing experience, the emotions are right there at the surface. Andy was in intensive care for five days and doesn’t remember anything from his first two days in the hospital. And for Tricia, the memory of thinking she would lose him runs deep. They
have both been profoundly affected.

While Andy is very fortunate to have lived, 25 to 45 per cent of patients with sepsis don’t live. Dr Zarychanski wants to ensure patients like Andy have every opportunity to survive their infection. Thanks to your support, The HALO trial is one of several groundbreaking trials led by Dr Zarychanski and his team at CancerCare Manitoba aimed at improving outcomes for patients with cancer and blood disorders.