New pan-atlantic Canada Patient Advisory Committee on precision medicine in cancer
Most of us know someone affected by cancer.
This is not surprising, as cancer is a common disease in Canada, with hundreds of thousands of new cancer diagnoses given each year.
Cancer has a greater impact on those of us in Atlantic Canada. The people living here have a slightly higher risk of developing cancer compared to those in the western provinces.
The good news is that as science and medicine further progress, we expect the burden of cancer in Atlantic Canada to lessen. A national network of cancer researchers, including those from Atlantic Canada, have been working towards improving cancer outcomes with a focus on precision medicine.
Precision medicine aims to take into account our differences and use the right medical care, prevention strategy, or treatment for each patient.
There are countless ways that we can differ from each other — in our genetics, our socioeconomic and environmental conditions, or our life-styles. Because we are all unique, different people may have different cancer risks, their disease may progress differently, or they may have a different response to a cancer treatment.
Eventually, precision medicine is expected to improve cancer outcomes through better prevention, more effective treatment, and reduced treatment side-effects.
In Canada, The Terry Fox Research Institute has been significantly investing in cancer research and precision medicine. One of its main projects is the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network. This network is comprised of various regional groups from across the country, including the Atlantic Cancer Consortium, which joined the network in December of 2022.
The Atlantic Cancer Consortium is comprised of around 60 researchers from all four Atlantic Canadian provinces, many of whom are working on projects related to precision medicine in cancer.
There is also a significant place for patients in this consortium.
Individuals with lived cancer experiences — including patients and their family members — have unique insight and perspectives that are essential for meaningful cancer research and public engagement activities. That is why, in January of this year, we formed the Patient Advisory Committee for the Atlantic Cancer Consortium.
This committee currently consists of 12 patient or family members and an oncologist, a coordinator, and a cancer scientist. The advisors collectively represent all four Atlantic provinces, the main age groups, several ethnicities, around 20 different cancers, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, people living in rural areas, and people with disabilities.
The primary aim of this committee is to advise the researchers in the Atlantic Cancer Consortium and support the residents of Atlantic Canada. It is a very productive and enthusiastic committee. You can find a summary of their work at https://strengthin-community.ca/2024/04/03/ year-end-summary-by-accpac-april-2024/.
Together, committee members have been discussing the priorities of patients, families, and communities in Atlantic Canada. The knowledge generated so far will be disseminated in a scientific conference in May, and later to the broader community.
The committee also has communication goals, including the planning and leading of an upcoming Public Conference on Cancer for Atlantic Canadians in 2024.
We are confident that this committee will continue to grow, as well as elevate the voices of cancer-affected individuals in the region and advocate on their behalf. We are also confident that it will contribute to improvements in cancer research as well as public and academic knowledge exchange events.
We thank all members and all individuals who applied to become a member of this wonderful committee.
Aaron Curtis, MSC. coordinator, Atlantic Cancer Consortium Patient Advisory Committee; Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL Sevtap Savas, PHD. Lead, Atlantic Cancer Consortium Patient Advisory Committee; professor Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL