Join the conversation @ thefearlessproject.ca
How advances in cancer research have changed one family’s life page 3
Five things you need to know about cancer now page 6
The Canadian Cancer Society can help people at every stage of the journey. People like Kate Neale, 22, who faced her fear of cancer when she was diagnosed with melanoma at age 21 created by
THE FEArlESS PrOjECT:
changıng the conversatıon
the mAJORity OF OntARiAnS, 70 percent, fear cancer more than numerous other diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. their two biggest fears are “feeling sick and unable to do everyday things” and “dying and leaving behind loved ones.” According to a recent ipsos-Reid poll, eight in 10 Ontarians who have been diagnosed with cancer fear the disease; however, more than half of people who haven’t known anyone diagnosed with cancer are also fearful. these findings informed the FearLess Project. this canadian cancer Society public engagement initiative was launched to change the cancer conversation, moving it from fear to empowerment. Fear can prevent people from seeing a doctor and it affects our ability to absorb information and make difficult choices. through the FearLess Project, the Society is encouraging Ontarians to share their fears as a first step to overcoming them. Once a fear is shared at
thefearlessproject.ca, the participant is directed to materials about the Society’s information and support programs and research news that can help to reduce their fear. more than a collection of fears, the FearLess Project has started an important dialogue with people across the province. “the Society hopes that by better understanding canadians’ fears about cancer, we will be able to further tailor our services and support for people facing cancer, develop new programs and advocacy strategies to address identified gaps or specific needs or even suggest new types of research,” says Susan horvath, vice president of Leadership Philanthropy at the canadian cancer Society. to share your fear, please visit thefearlessproject.ca. help change the way we think about, talk about and deal with cancer. Because when we all become fearless in the face of cancer, we will change cancer forever.
Join the conversation @ thefearlessproJect.ca
CHANgiNg CANCEr FOrEvEr bEgiNS HErE NO ONE uNdErSTANdS CANCEr like the dedicated volunteers and staff of the Canadian Cancer Society. Here are some stories from the front lines
NO ONE HAS TO FEEl AlONE
if you ask people what disease they fear the most, the vast majority will say cancer — even if they’ve never known anyone who had it. According to an ipsos-Reid poll conducted by the canadian cancer Society, what Ontario men and women (though women a bit more) fear most are the outcomes of cancer — the possibility of cancer returning, missing important life events, having to tell family and friends, and the physical changes that may occur. the poll results indicate that the top two fears people with cancer have are feeling so sick that they are unable to carry on with life normally and dying. Staff at the Society’s cancer information Service, Peer Support and transportation Program volunteers, the moderators for the Society’s online community for patients, family and caregivers - are all there to listen to and help ease the many cancer-related fears that people have every day. Since it started in 1996, the cancer information Service alone has dealt with more than a million queries — about everything from clinical trials, cancer treatment and side effects to emotional support services and community resources. “When i talk with patients and caregivers, i let them know that cancer is not something they have to go through alone,” says David Boctor, a senior information specialist with the cancer information Service. “it’s
important to understand what you’re dealing with. it’s important to ask questions and to ask the right questions so when you go and meet with the oncologist or physician, it’s not hitting you like a bus. education is key.”
KNOwiNg wHAT TO ExPECT iS HElPFul
Ackerman, who has provided support to more than 70 people living with cancer, agrees. “the biggest fear is the unknown,” she says. “you don’t know what to expect, what’s coming up, what’s going to happen.” As someone who has been through cancer herself, Ackerman can share her experience with those she supports — what chemo feels like, what happens during radiation, tips she learned to help herself — and dispel some of the mystery. “Just knowing what to expect is helpful,” she says. Giving hope to those living with the disease and going through treatment is an incredibly powerful gift. Bruce Brown has been a volunteer driver for the Society, based in hamilton, Ont., for the past seven years. For him, the job is “giveback”: Brown’s son had testicular cancer at the age of 19. “the canadian cancer Society was able to take him some days because i wasn’t able to, as i was an out-of-town banker,” he says. “During his treatment, they looked after him.” now, two days a week, Brown, 72, drives people wherever they need to go for treatment. “i like to talk to people,” he says. “i’ve had a bit of cancer myself; i lived through my son’s cancer. you’re not afraid to talk to them.” most of Brown’s passengers are older, and sometimes their fears are different; some have spouses with health issues of their own and are worried about how they are going to look after them. Still, hope — and lack of hope — is certainly a common topic of conversation. “One of the things i’m able to do is give my son’s story,” says Brown. “he’s now a very successful geologist, and that all happened after he had cancer. it took something away from him — the fear of going on with his education.” And there are loads of success stories, every day. “And the more i volunteer, the more success stories you hear from people and the more you pass those success stories on, which alleviates the fear in people who have cancer.”
ruth ackerman survived cancer and is now a Peer Support volunteer with the canadian cancer Society.
CANCEr rESEArCH HAS COmE A lONg wAy
Positive, factual information is a great antidote to the fears of people who have or who love someone with cancer. “A lot of the patients still view cancer as almost a death sentence,” says the cancer information Service’s Boctor. “they don’t comprehend that cancer research has come a long way. they’ve seen their parents pass away from cancer, and they think this is their fate. they don’t understand that we’ve made headway in treatment — a lot of cancers are treatable, a lot are curable.” After callers learn about what to expect and get connected with others who’ve had similar experiences, Boctor adds, they get more of a grip on the disease. “you actually feel it in their voices,” he says. “they’re going to take control over their lives rather than letting the disease control them.” Ackerman agrees. She’s matched up with someone going through a similar type of cancer and is in a comparable place in life to Ackerman when she was diagnosed. Like Boctor, Ackerman can hear the differences in a voice from the beginning to the end of a phone call. “i’m still here 13 years later,” she says. “All i can do is tell somebody that you can survive this thing. that’s what i needed to hear, and if i can give that to someone else, then that’s great.”
Will chemo make me lose my hair? Will I still ill be able e to work while going through treatment? Can I talk to someone who has been throu through this? Can my kids inherit my cancer?
Where can I find answers? Knowledge helps take away the fear. For cancer patients, knowledge isn’t just power – it’s hope. That’s why we created Canada’s only free multilingual service that provides the personalized answers you’re looking for and can trust. Looking for support? We can help.
1 888 939 939-3333 3333 | cancer.ca cancer ca a
dr.camilla zimmermann: univerSity health network Photo
By the time Ruth AckeRmAn was diagnosed in 1999, cancer in her breast had already spread to her lymph nodes. the 42-year-old pharmacist underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation — and, she says, just assumed she was a goner. But after talking to a canadian cancer Society volunteer who had come to Ackerman’s house with a package of reading material and a temporary prosthesis, Ackerman’s attitude changed. the volunteer was “nine years free of cancer and feeling great,” says Ackerman, who now works in health information publishing in toronto. “i thought, ‘my gosh, you really survived this?’ it gave me hope, and that’s really important.” the moment she was able, Ackerman stepped up — in 2005 she became a volunteer with the Society’s free Peer Support service, and today is helping to alleviate the fears of other people dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
research is making a difference
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PALLIATIVE CARE NEEDS A RADICAL RE-THINK It’s not just about dealing with death anymore, says Dr. Camilla ZimmermanN. It’s about helping people to live better For years, palliative care has been stereotyped as the last stop for patients with a terminal illness, but Dr. Camilla Zimmermann is hoping to change that. “There is a place for this type of care throughout the course of the illness, and it can make a real difference in a patient’s quality of life,” she says. “Whether they have a terminal illness or not, most patients want to live as long as possible,” she says. “A lot of the time the impression is that the palliative care unit is all about doom and gloom and helping people accept that they’re dying. Really, what we’re doing is helping people live better.” In a recent study, funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, Dr. Zimmermann examined the effectiveness of early palliative care in lessening the pain of advanced cancer patients and their families. Patients going into palliative care are often anxious and frightened, believing they’re at the end of their treatment, she says. But by the time they leave, she says, “they usually look so much happier.” In fact, she adds, some want to know, “ ‘Why wasn’t I referred here earlier?’ They feel taken care of. We strive to provide treatment alongside the oncologist to make sure all the patient’s needs are met.” Dr. Zimmermann is an internationally recognized expert in the field of palliative care. One of her findings is that a third of oncologists referred patients to palliative care upon diagnosis of a terminal cancer, and a third referred patients during chemotherapy. However, a third of doctors referred their patients only after they had stopped chemotherapy. Dr. Zimmermann’s study also showed that oncologists who refer patients to palliative care earlier have better access to teams that accept patients currently receiving chemotherapy. Dr. Zimmermann hopes Canadian oncologists will continue to incorporate palliative care earlier in the treatment of their patients. “We need to create a more collaborative model in order to ensure the patient gets the best care possible,” says Dr. Zimmermann. “People with advanced cancer and their caregivers need to be supported through this difficult time, but they sometimes don’t have access to the complex care they need,” she says. “It is important to show that palliative care has a real impact on patients and families, so that it becomes a greater priority through the entire journey.”
percent of canadians diagnosed with cancer survive
Donor funding has contributed to groundbreaking results around treatments and outcomes If you’d been diagnosed with cancer in the 1940s, you’d have had about a one-in-four chance of surviving. Today, according to Christine Williams, vice-president of research for the Canadian Cancer Society, chances of survival are better than 60 percent overall, with even better odds with certain types of cancer — including breast (more than 88 percent) and some pediatric forms (more than 80 percent). The reason for those dramatically improved statistics: advances in research and how they’ve been applied to medicine. “When we talk about the history of how cancer treatment has changed, originally we were just trying to hit the side of the barn door,” explains Williams. “Now, rather than hitting the side of the barn door, we’re trying to find the lock and pick the lock.” While basic cancer treatment techniques — surgery, chemotherapy, radiation — haven’t changed much since the middle of the 20th century, researchers have fine-tuned the way they are used. “The more we understand about the molecular characterization of cancer, the more treatment has changed, so the right patients are getting the right treatment at the right time,” says Williams. “It’s more effective, with fewer side effects, better quality of life and better outcomes.” A significant portion of funds raised by the Canadian Cancer Society goes toward research that can have groundbreaking results. One of the many notable examples is a trial reported in 2005 of patients who’d had lung cancer surgically removed. As Dr. Ralph Meyer, head of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group, explains, doctors know that ultimately some of those patients would have a recurrence and die from the cancer. Researchers led a trial that compared surgery alone — the standard of care at the time — with surgery followed by chemotherapy. The survival increase was in the range of 10 to 12 percent — “striking,” as Meyer says. As a result, the treatment protocol was adopted, and outcomes have since improved. The Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute has launched new funding programs, including Innovation and Impact grants. The more substantial Impact grants are awarded to research that has already demonstrated great potential for impact, says Dr. Brian Wilson, researcher and head of the Society’s Advisory Committee on Research, “and to try to accelerate it so you could get to the point where the new knowledge could start to be used.” The two-year term Innovation grants are designed “to identify truly innovative, out-of-the-box ideas which are as yet largely untested but which could lead to more detailed research, which hopefully would end up with significant impact.” A perfect example is a 2012 Innovation Grant awarded to Dr. Paula Foster, who is employing leading-edge MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) technology to study metastasis — one of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment and research. In fact, most cancer deaths are not caused by an initial tumour, but by its spread to other parts of the body. Dr. Foster and her team, based at the University of Western Ontario in London, are using powerful MRI tools and techniques that are able to detect and follow a single cell. The goal is to study the movement of immune cells to healthy tissue (the “pre-metastatic niche”) that a spreading cancer seems to have targeted, and to monitor any resulting changes in the tissue. This creative approach of looking at where cancer cells are going, rather than simply studying the initial tumour, could change our current understanding of the metastatisis process and may lead to therapies that prevent or treat metastasis by targeting the metastasis site tissue. Grants are open to scientists new to cancer research as well as to established investigators doing work across the full spectrum, from prevention and biomedical work to survivor research. “You don’t know where solutions are going to come from,” says Wilson. “There’s lots of science going on and lots of possibilities.” Application is a longer process: letters of interest from researchers are peer-reviewed and those that are short-listed are sent for full proposal, then ultimately reviewed by panels of experts. “Nothing gets funded if it’s not scientifically excellent,” he adds. “That’s a sine qua non.” The Society has an international reputation for the quality of its peer review process. “We do this really well,” says Wilson, “in part because the scientific community expects us to, and in part because we are spending funds that have been donated for the purpose of cancer research. We want to make sure we spend it in the best possible way.” The astounding advances already made have ensured there is less to fear now than ever before. But, as everyone who has been touched by cancer knows, there are still miles to go and a million questions to be answered. Research remains as important as ever. As Williams says, “We can’t detect, treat or prevent what we don’t understand.”
Join the conversation @ thefearlessproject.ca
how advances in cancer research changed this family’s life Stephanie Hermsen was just nine months old when her mother noticed something strange about the way the light hit one of her baby’s eyes. When the visible white spot didn’t disappear from her daughter’s eye after a few days, her mother took her to see a doctor in their hometown of Windsor, Ont. A few days later, Hermsen and her mother were at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, where doctors did a series of tests on the infant. “At first, they didn’t even want to tell her what was happening. Back in 1976, the word cancer was taboo,” Hermsen says. Hermsen had a type of cancer called retinoblastoma, and went through eight months of chemotherapy, cryotherapy and radiation for the tumors doctors had found in both of her eyes. And though the treatments were ultimately successful, one of Hermsen’s eyes was not salvageable. In July of 1977, her right eye was removed. Since then she has used a prosthetic eye, continued regular checkups and remained cancer-free. Thirty-three years later, Hermsen and her husband John, decided they were ready to have a baby, but — given her own history with cancer as an infant — they were wary about what her gene mutation would mean for their future children “I was scared to have kids, especially considering what I went through. At one point I was told that two out of three of my kids would have my mutation,” she says. “I thought, why would I ever do that to them?” Before the couple conceived their first child, Hermsen and her husband met with her childhood physician, Dr. Brenda Gallie of SickKids hospital in Toronto, in order to get some additional information. Dr. Gallie told them that there was only a 50 percent chance their future children would carry the gene. But even more important was the news that doctors were now able to determine whether a baby had retinoblastoma while it was still in the womb. Canadian Cancer Society-funded research has resulted in dramatic improvements in retinoblastoma treatment over the years. In the 1980s, Societyfunded researchers discovered how to outsmart chemotherapy resistance in retinoblastoma cells, making treatment more effective. Continuing research into retinoblastoma genetics means that more children are diagnosed early, when it is easier to treat. “With genetic testing, doctors can identify which kids are at risk, then monitor their eyes to see if the disease strikes,” Hermsen says. When Hermsen became pregnant, tests showed that her unborn son did indeed have retinoblastoma. First, armed with the early diagnosis, doctors chose to induce labour about a month early. After her son, Liam, was born, they then checked his eyes consistently, and eventually, over the first year of his life, found two tumours. There followed two bouts of laser therapy and one round of cryotherapy, with the result that Liam’s tumours are now completely gone. Today, he’s a rambunctious three-yearold with 20-20 vision. “It’s amazing how far technology and research have come,” says Hermsen. “Thanks to the incredible progress in retinoblastoma research made possible by Society funding, Liam won’t have to go through what I did. I’m much less scared of what the future holds for him.”
“It’s a wonderful feeling knowing my son NEVER HAs TO go through what I went through”
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fACING DO ( kate neale)
Whether you have cancer, love someone who has it, or statistics indicate it’s something you might face in the future, fear can be a very real — and very difficult — part of your experience. Find out how five people dealt with their fears around cancer Kate Neale began using indoor tanning salons excessively at 16, seduced by the beautiful people working behind the counter and the pressure to look good. By the time she was 18, she says she was “indoor tanning’s biggest advocate,” even working at a tanning salon that required her to use their services in order to work there. Though her parents warned her about the potential risks, Neale says she believed indoor tanning was healthy for her skin. “I was misinformed by the industry,” she says. “There was nothing my parents could have done to stop me.” Three years later, Neale noticed an unusual freckle on her stomach. When doctors confirmed the spot was melanoma, the 21-year-old was devastated. “I couldn’t understand why it was happening to me. I was too young,” she says. “It left a pit in my stomach that didn’t go away for months.” Luckily, doctors discovered Neale’s cancer early and were able to remove the spot quickly. However, she still requires visits to the dermatologist regularly and, every time a new spot appears, she fears the worst. Since her first diagnosis, she has had several removed, but only one spot was cancerous. “I live with anxiety every day, and I don’t sleep well anymore,” says Neale. “It hurts me that my parents worry so much about me. I wish I would have just listened to them.” Now 22, Neale works in administration at a car dealership in Belleville, Ont., and volunteers with the Canadian Cancer Society. She spent the last year promoting “A Tan Free Prom” and Bill 74, which would ban tanning for youth under 18. “Working with the Canadian Cancer Society has given my confidence back,” she says. “I know I can’t change what happened to me, but I hope that by sharing my story, I can prevent it from happening to someone else.”
( tammy horvath)
‘It’s easy for firefighters to develop cancer, and it’s something we all dread’
When Ray Ellis became a firefighter 26 years ago, he was aware that he’d be risking his life regularly. What he didn’t know was that he’d be facing not only 3000-degree fires, but the threat of cancer as well. Now more than ever, firefighters are at an increased risk to develop cancer because of their exposure to smoke and toxic fumes. “These days, the fabrics we use in our creature comforts are mostly synthetic, and it causes the fires to get twice as hot and way more toxic than they used to be,” says Ellis, who is a captain with the Belleville Fire Department. “We’re given the best safety equipment we could ask for, but the fact is, smoke can still crawl into every crevice. We can even absorb it in our skin. It’s easy for us to develop cancer, and it’s something we all dread.” But instead of allowing that dread to consume his life, in 2005 Ellis created Ray’s Ride for Cancer, a 4,000-kilometre bike ride to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. Ellis’s route began in Belleville and continued to the first round of the grueling Firefighter Combat Challenge in Windsor, then through the United States and to another round of the challenge in Strathcona, B.C. Finally, he rode to and participated in the National Firefighter Combat Challenge in Edmonton. “I’ve lost family and good friends,” explains Ellis when asked what inspired him to do Ray’s Ride. “At the time, my father-in-law was terminally ill with cancer. Whenever I started to feel tired or wet or cold, I thought about how he was battling something harder than I would ever have to. And when I got home, he gave me a hug and whispered, ‘thank you.’ That made everything worthwhile.”
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( ray ellis)
‘I hope that by sharing my story, I can prevent it from happening to someone else’
Doctors told Tammy Horvath she only had two weeks to live when she was diagnosed with stage-four uterine sarcoma. Just 34 years old, Horvath didn’t smoke or drink, went to the gym five days a week and had two young sons at home. “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to see them grow, that my 11-month-old baby wouldn’t remember me and that my five-year-old would sidestep through life because his mom had died,” she says. Even though it was only March, Horvath bought her sons Christmas gifts because she didn’t think she’d be alive for the holidays. As she walked around the store, she says she felt like she had the words “cancer victim” tattooed on her forehead. “Everyone around me seemed so alive, and I felt like the walking dead.” Though her condition was advanced, Horvath found a surgeon willing to operate on her for her children’s sake. He removed most of the cancer, and she underwent six grueling months of aggressive, high-dose chemo, followed by five weeks of high-dose radiation. Eight years later, now a retired social medical worker who lives in Cannington, Ont., Horvath is still alive, smiling and cancer-free. “Cancer messed with the wrong girl,” she says, triumphantly. “I want people to realize that it doesn’t have to define us in a negative way. I realize not every story ends like mine. I know what it’s like to lose someone too soon. But there’s an army behind us changing things and we’re facing this beast head on.” Horvath says cancer has allowed her to appreciate life more than ever, especially the time she spends with her family. “My life is sweeter because of the challenges I’ve faced,” she says. “The grass is greener, the sky is bluer, my hair is a little grayer but every day that I’m here is a gift.”
‘Every day that I’m here is a gift’
Join the conversation @ thefearlessproject.ca
OWN FEAR Fiona Hodgson’s sister was only 35 years old when she died from breast cancer, the same disease that had killed their mother four years earlier. When Hodgson found a lump on her own breast a year later, panic set in. “Luckily, it was benign,” says Hodgson, “but it made me worried that I was next in line.” As it turns out, she wasn’t next in line. Now 72, a part-time bookkeeper in Amherstview, Ont., and cancer-free, Hodgson says she has a Society-funded breast cancer prevention study to thank for her health. After three biopsies of benign tumors, the grandmother of two participated in a blind study for post-menopausal women at a high risk for breast cancer. The study, which began eight years ago, ultimately proved that a daily dose of exemestane (a drug often used in treating breast cancer) could reduce the risk of developing the disease. Although Hodgson largely credits exemestane for her health today, the regular checkups she must participate in through the study have also been a contributing factor. “I’m not someone who likes to go to the hospital often, but the doctors and staff have really taken care of me. I still go for mammograms and checkups regularly, and they really make me feel at ease.” Hodgson hopes that researchers will continue to make strides in breast cancer prevention and treatment, reducing the risk for her granddaughter and other, future generations. “I’m so thankful that I was able to participate in the study, and to see it really make a difference in peoples lives,” she says.
( fiona hodgson)
Share your fears at thefearlessproject.ca, and learn about the Canadian Cancer Society’s information and support programs, advocacy, prevention and groundbreaking research.
‘ I’m so thankful I was able to participate in this study’
( sue bothwell)
“I was tired all the time,” says Sue Bothwell, 65 (below, left, with friend Edna MacKenzie), of why she decided to visit her family doctor for a checkup. Having quit smoking two years earlier, she expected her health to improve, but something still didn’t feel right. “My doctor told me, ‘you’re an ex-smoker and you’re aging. Live with it.’” True to form, Bothwell asked for a referral to a lung specialist, who ran some tests and performed a CT scan. Not long after, her phone rang. It was the specialist. “I’ll never forget it. He said, ‘Sue, I’ve got some bad news,’” she says. “I was in shock. It brought my husband to his knees, and my daughter was terrified.” Though Bothwell was initially told she had seven months to live and that her cancer was untreatable, Dr. Scott Laurie, an oncologist from Ottawa, had a different plan. He told her simply: “You have stage four lung cancer, and we’re going to treat it.” After six rounds of chemo and a daily dose of an experimental drug Bothwell took as part of a clinical trial, doctors noticed that her tumor had shrunk. Remarkably, the cancer completely disappeared from her system within a year. “I made a deal with God that if he brought me through my struggle, I’d give back,” she explains. And since that day, she’s made good on that promise. Bothwell is now a Peer Support volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society in Perth, Ont., and has had such an impact that she was recently honoured with a Canadian Cancer Society Award of Courage. “I’m not sure if I ever felt courageous,” she says, modestly. “But there was no bloody way cancer was ever going to take me down. I enjoyed the good days, put up with the bad days, and hoped that as time went on, there would be better days.”
‘It brought my husband to his knees, and my daughter was terrified’ page 5
5 THiNgS yOu NEEd TO KNOw AbOuT CANCEr NOw There’s no shortage of information about cancer available nowadays, but it can be overwhelming. HErE ArE FivE bASiC –ANd ESSENTiAl – FACTS
SmOkinG incReASeS yOuR RiSk OF DeveLOPinG LunG cancer by about 20 times. it doesn’t stop there. Smoking can also increase your risk of developing other cancers, including bladder, cervix, kidney, pancreas, stomach and liver. Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve your health. Within 8 hours your blood oxygen levels rise; within 2-12 weeks you’ll breathe easier; after 1 year your risk of a smokingrelated heart attack is cut in half.
ScReeninG teStS cAn SAve yOuR LiFe. they can help find some types of cancer early, before you have symptoms. Some even help prevent cancer by detecting changes in your body that would become cancer if left untreated. colon cancer, for instance, is the #2 cancer killer of canadian men and women, yet it is 90% treatable when caught early. talk to your doctor about getting screened for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer.
theRe iS nO SAFe WAy tO Get A tAn And indoor tanning for people under the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 87 percent. melanoma is one of the most common forms of skin cancer in Ontarians 15 to 29, and one of the most preventable. that’s why the canadian cancer Society is asking the government of Ontario to protect youth by enacting legislation against indoor tanning.
uP tO 35 PeRcent of all cancers can be prevented by healthy eating, limiting alcohol consumption, keeping active and maintaining healthy body weight. Despite this, more than 30 percent of teenagers aged 12 to 17 are overweight or obese. According to the canadian cancer Society, being overweight or obese increases the risk of colorectal, kidney, breast, uterine, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers.
tALk tO yOuR DOctOR – ReGuLARLy. When armed with your own and your family’s medical history, your physician can alert you about potential risks for cancer, provide you with up-to-date information and advise you about when to get screened. Don’t wait until you’re feeling unwell; many cancers are silent in the early, developing stages. take an active and informed role in your own health; it’s a habit that will benefit you and your loved ones.
What if I’m too weak to drive?
What if my spouse can’t take time off from work?
Who’ll Wh ’ll make k sure I get home h ssafely?
How will I get to my cancer treatment?
Transportation helps take away the fear. Undergoing cancer treatment is challenging enough without having to worry about how you’ll get there. For more than 50 years, we’ve helped get people in need to their cancer-related appointments. We give them one less thing to worry about – so they can focus on getting better. Looking for support? We can help.
1 888 939-3333 | cancer.ca
illuStrationS: PariSgreencreative.com
one two three four fıve
Fearless of the unknown Thanks to research, we know more than ever about cancer. Sometimes it is hard to believe that tests done in labs and test tubes can make a difference for the thousands of Canadians who are fighting cancer right now. But, with the support of our generous donors, research discoveries have led to important changes in how cancer is prevented, diagnosed and treated in Canada and around the world.
Recent Canadian Cancer Society-funded research breakthroughs: Research identifies rare stomach cancer gene mutation By identifying the genetic mutations responsible for diffuse gastric cancer, researchers developed a DNA-based blood test to determine if people with a family history were likely to develop the deadly disease.
New treatment dramatically improves long-term outlook for breast cancer survivors International clinical trial concludes women who take the drug letrozole after treatment had a significantly reduced risk of recurrence.
New approach to treatment means children with retinoblastoma can be cured without harmful radiation Researchers develop a genetic test for a rare form of childhood eye cancer and improve treatment that avoids the harmful effects of radiation therapy.
“Drug holiday” changes the standard of care for men with recurring prostate cancer Results of clinical trial show that men treated with intermittent courses of hormone therapy will live as long with fewer uncomfortable side effects as men on continuous therapy.
Clinical trial makes groundbreaking discovery to prevent breast cancer Breast cancer prevention trial finds the drug exemestane reduces the risk of breast cancer for women at high risk for developing the disease by 65% compared with placebo.
“I am a walking example of what cancer research does. This research allowed me to make a proactive choice.”
“Little was known about retinoblastoma when I was a child. Research helped save three of my children’s four eyes.”
“It’s nice to know that this research is now helping men living with prostate cancer experience fewer of these side effects and improving their quality of life.”
“People who are in the middle of a cancer diagnosis need to know there is hope. What these results mean personally to me is my risk of recurrence has been cut in half.”
Geralyn hansford, had her stomach removed after learning she carried the genetic mutation.
terry hoddinott, cancer survivor.
BoB tUCK, prostate cancer survivor.
Kathy anderson, breast cancer survivor and clinical trial participant.
Join the conversation @ thefearlessproJect.ca
A FuTurE wiTHOuT FEAr
PhotoS: jeremy kohm
The light-filled atrium of Brookfield Place was the scene of an emotional outpouring last month as thousands of people witnessed an event that is part of the Canadian Cancer Society’s ongoing FEArlESS PrOjECT. A series of metal ‘trees’ fluttered with hundreds of notes written by members of the public. Statements ranged from ‘I’m afraid to tell my children’ to ‘What if I lose my job?’ and ‘I’m scared of the pain.’ Through The FearLess Project, the Canadian Cancer Society hopes to help people confront, cope with and manage their fears — and cancer itself.
What do I tell my kids?
How w could an anyone nyone know what I’m going th through?
Why can can’t n’t my friends unders understand? What does chemo feel like? like
Who can I talk to? Understanding helps take away the fear. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who’s been there. Whether it’s over the phone or online, we connect cancer patients and caregivers with someone who’s been through a similar cancer experience and provide comfort and understanding through diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Looking for support? We can help.
1 888 939-3333 | cancer.ca