The BC Cancer Foundation announced that they have received a whopping, historic $18.346 million philanthropic grant from an anonymous donor.
The donation was received from the Aqueduct Foundation on behalf of an anonymous person, and the funds will go to support a world-leading Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics program.
In addition, the funds will be used in research and development of cutting-edge radiopharmaceuticals as well as clinical trials.
“Today marks an important moment in cancer research and care in Canada with one of the largest donations ever made to bring new treatment solutions to patients. The $18.346 million is grounded in hope and science with an opportunity to save lives here in B.C., across the country and globe,” says Sarah Roth, president & CEO, BC Cancer Foundation.
The foundation adds that it is estimated that cancer cases in the province will rise by a staggering 40 per cent over the decade. Further, it states that research has proven that radioactive particles are able to deliver drugs to the source of metastatic cancers. As such, they are able to kill the cancer cells while saving the surrounding healthy tissue.
Photo: 3d illustration of T cells or cancer cells / Shutterstock
The BC Cancer Foundation
Led by Dr. François Bénard, BC Leadership Chair in Functional Cancer Imaging, the new program plans to expand over the course of the next five years. It will develop a series of clinical trails and evolve scientific development of radioactive isotope treatments.
“We’ve been effectively using medical isotopes in cancer imaging for decades and to treat thyroid cancer. We have recently developed probes that bind specifically to cancer cells enabling us to apply this technology to treat many more cancers, notably prostate.
"With these game-changing funds, our team at BC Cancer can address the urgent need to improve outcomes for thousands of people in our province who are diagnosed with incurable cancer each year," says Dr. Bénard.”
"Different from chemotherapy, RLT is only delivered to the cancer cells packing a much bigger punch in a highly concentrated dose. Evidence for the effectiveness of RLT shows a clear benefit for prostate and thyroid cancer, neuroendocrine and liver tumours, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, bone metastases and other diseases," states BC Cancer.
Moreover, the treatment offers an alternative to chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy that is greatly needed in the province.
