MORE PERSONALIZED TREATMENT OPTIONS THAN EVER BEFORE.
Did you know that there are over 200 different types of cancer? And even among those different types, no two tumors or diagnoses are exactly alike. With 1 in 2 Atlantic Canadians facing a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, now more than ever, it is time to identify the most targeted and effective treatments for cancer patients at the QEII Health Sciences Centre.
In 2021, Ride for Cancer powered by BMO Bank of Montreal is leading the charge to introduce new cancer-fighting genetic sequencing technology at the QEII Health Sciences Centre that will be used to analyze the genes of thousands of tumour samples each year.
Better outcomes, fewer side effects, access to a new therapy or clinical trial are all benefits this technology brings to cancer patients, here at home. It can even spare patients from unnecessary treatments. This is a game-changer for those patients facing late-stage cancers.
In the fight against cancer, a patient’s tumour genetic make-up holds the key and with your support, the QEII can identify a personalized treatment plan by knowing how an individual’s cancer might progress and the treatment it may best respond to.
$4.08 MILLION NET RAISED FOR CANCER CARE IN ATLANTIC CANADA SINCE 2015
2020
Funds raised through our Ride community in 2020 brought a new, world-class procedure to the QEII Health Sciences Centre– a breast seed brachytherapy program.
Access to a breast seed brachytherapy program will help ensure that some early stage breast cancer patients – from every community across our province – can spend less time at the QEII undergoing radiotherapy. This program will reduce the number of treatments required from 30 to 1. For patients, this means more time at home, focusing on what matters most.
These tiny seeds have a big impact and with our Ride community’s support, we are able to target breast cancer better than ever before and help ensure our cancer centre has the best treatment options available here at home.
2019
Helped purchase new state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment equipment for cervical cancer. This new equipment provides an effective and minimally invasive way to diagnose and treat precancerous cell changes before they even develop into cancer.
Funds raised will also help bring Atlantic Canada’s first surgical robotics technology to the QEII – giving patients with a range of cancers shorter hospital stays, less pain, quicker recovery times and, most importantly, a decreased risk of the cancer advancing or recurring.
Our Ride community also funded groundbreaking research to discover new treatments and cures for blood cancer, as well as individualized support programs for cancer patients and their families through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.
2017/2018
Cutting-edge equipment and technology for the new Cancer Therapy Preparation Lab, which will open at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in spring 2020. This state-of-the-art lab will be dedicated to the preparation of all drugs for the treatment and support of cancer patients at the QEII.
With our Ride community helping to fund innovative technologies within the new lab – like bar-coding, remote-cameras, robotics and automation – the QEII’s cancer care team will double the number of therapy doses they can prepare each day, reduce treatment times, and enable new clinical trials.
2016
Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) technology, which provides a safer and less-invasive alternative to diagnosing lung cancer and lymphoma. Prior to this purchase, Nova Scotia was the only province in Canada that didn’t have EBUS technology.
2015
An additional apheresis machine – a crucial piece of equipment in blood cancer treatment.
