MONTREAL (Quebec), November 18, 2022 – In honour of Prostate Cancer Awareness Day in Quebec and International Men’s Day, both approaching on November 19, PROCURE is partnering with the Cedars Cancer Foundation and Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network to invest $2.6 million in its largest prostate cancer research project to date. This funding will go towards characterizing the genetic changes of 100 prostate cancer patients taken from PROCURE’s Biobank to perform a large-scale genomic analysis of the lethal form of prostate cancer.

This genetic research study will be made possible due to PROCURE’s Biobank, a large collection of biospecimen and clinical data from prostate cancer patients treated by surgery from across Quebec. It was established in 2007 to better understand prostate cancer and power investigations into new diagnostics and treatments. PROCURE is Quebec’s only charitable organization dedicated to the fight against prostate cancer. 4,380 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year— about 12 each day.

“At PROCURE, we’re dedicated to combatting prostate cancer. This is the most common form of cancer in men, and, despite some spectacular advances, its causes remain unknown. We’re hopeful that this investment in world-class research will help provide a clearer picture of this disease in hopes to better understand this disease and treat it more effectively and efficiently,” said Laurent Proulx, President & CEO of PROCURE.

To help in this fight, PROCURE and the Cedars Cancer Foundation (Cedars) are investing $1 million each in the project, in addition to the funds from the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope program. The project is being carried out by a team of scientists, under the leadership by Drs. Armen Aprikian and Simone Chevalier of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), and includes the following collaborators Dr Fred Saad from the CHUM, Dr Michel Carmel from the CHUS and Dr Louis Lacombe from the CHUQ.

Cedars is the funding arm of the MUHC’s fight against cancer. It supports the hospital’s Cancer Centre, which bears its name, as well as the Cancer Research Program of the Research Institute of the MUHC.

“Our mission at Cedars is to improve the health and wellbeing of MUHC cancer patients and their families, by supporting excellence and innovation in research, education, clinical care, and supportive care services,” said Jeff J. Shamie, President and CEO of Cedars. “That’s why we’re very proud to be part of this leading-edge research project.”

The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network unites the top-tier cancer researchers and clinicians in Canada to share their data, apply exciting new technologies, and deliver the best outcomes for all cancer patients.“We are incredibly grateful to PROCURE and the Cedars Cancer Foundation for their generosity and commitment to the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network,” says Michael Mazza, Executive Director of the Terry Fox Foundation. “They join an unprecedented collaboration between hospitals, universities, and institutes across Canada coming together to change the future of cancer research.

ABOUT PROCURE
PROCURE is a charitable organization in the fight against prostate cancer. It raises prostate cancer awareness while supporting and providing information to those touched by this disease. The organization promotes and helps finance world-class research.
procure.ca

ABOUT THE CEDARS CANCER FOUNDATION
The Cedars Cancer Foundation (Cedars) is a charitable organization that is the funding arm of the MUHC’s fight against cancer. It aims to ease the pain and suffering caused by cancer, regardless of the patient’s age. Cedars supports the hospital’s Cancer Centre, which bears its name, as well as the Cancer Research Program of the Research Institute of the MUHC. Cedars is also a founding partner of the Rossy Cancer Network, which brings together McGill University and its teaching hospitals to improve the quality of every patient’s experience and care outcome.
www.cedars.ca

ABOUT THE MARATHON OF HOPE CANCER CENTRES NETWORK
The Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network is the realization of a long-standing vision of the Terry Fox Research Institute. Inspired by Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope, the network represents a powerful collaborative platform that will close the gap between research in the lab and patient care in the clinic. Just as Terry Fox united Canadians with his run and dream to end cancer, the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network will unite cancer researchers to pursue that same goal with precision medicine.
marathonofhopecancercentres.ca

Thanks to our generous individual and corporate donors and to our major donor, iA Financial Group.

MEDIA CONTACT

For all press inquiries, please contact:
Gabrielle Brouillard
gbrouillard@yhp.co
514-922-6983

For more information about PROCURE:
Laurie Letendre
laurie.letendre@procure.ca