Cancer: a deadly scourge
In Canada, the probability of being diagnosed with cancer is 45% for men and 42% for women, without taking into account that one in four patients diagnosed with cancer will ultimately succumb to the disease. When we look around at our circle of family and friends, we almost certainly know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer. No one is safe from this devastation that can so often affect those closest to us.
In the last few years, immunotherapy has made progress in leaps and bounds and now represents the best course of treatment against cancer. This is why young Montreal professionals, conscious of this reality and engaged in working with the Institut du cancer de Montréal, have worked since 2012 to raise funds for immunotherapy research by creating charity events. Since our first event in 2012, close to $350,000 has been raised and donated to cancer research.
What is immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy consists of treatments which stimulate the immune system, triggering an attack on cancerous cells. Immunotherapy is a broad term that includes many different types of treatments such as antibodies that act to prevent the immune system from slowing down, modulating the tumor environment, training a patient’s white blood cells to better recognize their tumour cells, and vaccines. These therapies can be administered alone or combined with current treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Immunotherapy represents the future of cancer treatments.
(Available in French only.)
To learn more:
- Immunotherapy, a new weapon against cancer: http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/science/2014/06/03/001-immunotherapie-arme-cancer.shtml
- Immunotherapy targets other cancers: http://www.lapresse.ca/sciences/medecine/201505/29/01-4873806-limmunotherapie-cible-dautres-cancers.php
Where is the money invested?
The Institute is currently affiliated with 4 doctors who work in immunotherapy. Our internationally reputed researchers work in collaboration with a creative team. Since 2012, the money raised has been invested in state of the art flow cytometry equipment, which is supported in part by the ICM for patient immunomonitoring. This involves analyzing the function and activity of immune cells during cancer treatment. However, for a more in depth and complete evaluation of patient samples necessary to our research, we require the Meso QuickPlex SQ 120 from MSD. This machine is used by the top international organizations and will allow us to perfect our immunomonitoring. With this new acquisition, we would be able to define soluble inflammatory signatures, that is to say we would be able to evaluate levels of inflammatory proteins presents in patient blood and tissue samples. The purchase of this machine is essential to the pursuit of our research in immunotherapy and immune-oncology.
L’institut du cancer de Montréal
The Institut du cancer de Montréal is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Centre de recherche du CHUM (CRCHUM) and the University of Montreal. Established in 1947 as a research and cancer training center, the Institute finances the research of the CRCHUM Cancer Axis and trains future cancer specialists. Over time, the Institute changed its mission towards philanthropy with the goal of financing research and training.
The Institute and its team of affiliated researchers firmly believe that immunotherapy is an innovative branch of cancer research that may represent a big step towards a cure.
To learn more:
Casino contre le Cancer: casinocontrelecancer.com
Institut du cancer de Montréal : www.icm.qc.ca
Centre de recherche du CHUM : www.crchum.com
Our research members:
Jean-François Cailhier : http://crchum.chumontreal.qc.ca/chercheurs/cailhier-jean-francois
Réjean Lapointe : http://crchum.chumontreal.qc.ca/chercheurs/lapointe-rejean
John Stagg : http://crchum.chumontreal.qc.ca/chercheurs/stagg-john
Simon Turcotte : http://crchum.chumontreal.qc.ca/chercheurs/turcotte-simon
