More than sixty years ago, a provincial cancer hospital opened on Sherbourne Street in downtown Toronto. Now, The Princess Margaret is recognized as one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world. How did that transformation occur? It’s the result of exceptional leadership in research, education and clinical care, in partnership with a Foundation that has engaged a broad community of donors.
As we mark Canada’s 150th birthday, we can proudly say that The Princess Margaret is transforming cancer care and the patient experience for all Canadians. Thank you again for your continued support as we unite to Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime.
Paul Alofs
President & CEO
Glenn Ives
Chair, Board of Directors
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is passionate about impact, efficient fundraising and effective stewardship, so that our vision – To Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime – can one day be achieved. Our annual report highlights The Foundation’s achievements made during the fiscal year.
Read nowRead our 2017 Financial Statements or our 2017 Financial Report.
Check out our Annual Report and Financials archives.
17,751
New Patients
Cared for by Canada's largest cancer research and clinical program.
6,031
Surgeries
Performed by Canada's largest surgical oncology team and one of the largest in the world.
91,517
Radiation Visits
Managed by the world's largest single-site radiation program.
428
Stem Cell Transplants
Performed by Canada's largest stem cell transplant program.
1,312
Publications
Research performance ranks 4th in the world for percentage of publications in high-impact oncology journals.
37,754
Chemotherapy visits
Managed by one of the largest chemotherapy and transfusion centres of its kind in North America.
Detecting cancers early leads to better outcomes. We’ve been developing new molecular imaging technology that can visualize even the smallest cancers, as well as discovering new biomarkers.
Analyzing cancers in greater depth will lead to a better understanding of each patient’s disease and a more customized and effective treatment. Our cancer genomics program, for example, is helping to identify the DNA mutations and molecular mechanisms that drive cancer.
At the same time, we’ve been working to target surgery, radiation and drug treatments more precisely so we can eliminate cancers while leaving more healthy tissue intact. Guided therapeutics and genomics are being implemented and are showing promise. New treatments, like immunotherapy, are advancing rapidly and have the potential to significantly impact survival rates.
We are grateful for the funds that allow us to make discoveries, lead clinical trials, and share the results with the cancer community around the world. The Princess Margaret is a national asset because our scientific and clinical innovations have global impact.
The Princess Margaret’s Dr. Tak Mak helped advance our understanding of the immune system with a groundbreaking discovery. It was in his lab that the human T-cell receptor was first cloned in the 1980s.
Today, 30% of all open clinical trials at The Princess Margaret use immunotherapy.
The Therapeutics Group is now developing its first drug in the area of immune-oncology: an inhibitor of HPK1, an enzyme that halts activation of T cells. T cells are a part of the immune system needed to fi ght cancer within the body.
The novel, first-in-class inhibitor of HPK1 developed by the Therapeutics Group has shown significant promise in pre-clinical studies, and is expected to enter human clinical trials in 2018.
Drs. Lillian Siu and Philippe Bedard have been leading the drive to integrate molecular profiling into cancer diagnosis and treatment planning, for nearly a decade. It’s part of their commitment to advancing precision cancer medicine for patients in Canada and around the world.
“Not all cancers that look the same under the microscope have the same patterns of genetic mutations,” explains Dr. Bedard.
“Through this study we are not only providing access to novel treatments to benefit patients but we are establishing a research infrastructure that will advance the use of personalized medicine in Ontario,” says Dr. Siu.
Nearly 1 in 2 Canadians is expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
206,200 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Canadians 50 years of age and older will make up almost 90% of new cancer cases. 80,800 Canadians will die of cancer this year.
This makes cancer the leading cause of death in Canada. Great progress has been made so far in the fight against cancer, but there is more that must be done.
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is embarking on a remarkable transformation to improve the experience of patients, empowering them from the moment they step through our doors. This multi-phase project will create a welcoming and supportive environment in order to foster feelings of comfort, hope, and confidence for patients and their loved ones. We are building cancer care capacity for the future, putting patients’ needs first.
In June 2017, Canada’s largest cycling fundraiser drew an amazing 5,042 riders in the 10th annual event, raising over $20 million for The Princess Margaret.
In 2016, Scotiabank® Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer faced off for a successful sixth year at Woodbine Racetrack. 1,786 players raised $2.5 million, breaking the world records set in 2015 for number of participants and funds raised in a one-day road hockey fundraising event.
The Princess Margaret Lotteries, which have been running for 21 years, had another record year raising over $27.7 million net.
More than $1.6 million was raised in 2017's Journey to Conquer Cancer, making it a record-breaking year for The Foundation. Since its inception five years ago, Journey has raised over $6.7 million.
Donations to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre help support breakthrough research, exemplary teaching and compassionate care at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. How will you choose to support The Princess Margaret?
A gift of $50 million pledged in 2013 by Emmanuelle Gattuso, Allan Slaight and the Slaight family was instrumental in the landmark achievement of our BILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE.
This past year, the Gattuso Slaight gift enabled the leaders of our research team to recruit Dr. Faiyaz Notta — who is very excited about his work at The Princess Margaret. “I am eternally grateful for the generous support of the Gattuso Slaight Fund that helped to establish my laboratory,” says Dr. Notta. “Because of this gift, our group is now poised to target important research questions in pancreatic cancer.”
Thanks to a generous $5 million donation, The Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman Liver, Pancreas and Biliary Cancer Centre is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2018. It’s a new patient-focused facility that will house a multi-disciplinary team of some of the world’s top surgical, medical and radiation oncologists, gastroenterologists, researchers, nurses, radiologists, social workers and other cancer experts.
BAPS Charities, inspired by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, is a non-profit organization committed to caring for individuals and communities worldwide. When one of its members was treated at The Princess Margaret, BAPS decided to raise money for its research program.
“We were touched by the care and warmth shown by the staff and wanted to show our support,” says Haresh Bhatt, President of BAPS Charities. This year, BAPS completed their generous $100,000 pledge commitment in support of Personalized Cancer Medicine.
More than 130 spin participants gathered for the 2nd annual SPIN to Conquer Cancer. The event raised more than $89,000 for cancer research at The Princess Margaret.
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is passionate about impact, efficient fundraising and effective stewardship, so that the vision of its donors and supporters – To Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime – can be achieved. We publish an annual donor report that highlights our activities and achievements throughout the fiscal year.