The Princess Margaret “Transformers”

9 THE TRANSFORMERS • TECHNOLOGY ISSUE ONE OF THE LARGEST & MOST HIGHLY-SKILLED SURGICAL ONCOLOGY TEAMS IN THE WORLD Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is home to 72 surgeons, who work in 14 sub- specialties. Together, they treat some of the most complex cancer cases in Canada. SURGICAL ONCOLOGY EXPERTISE In 2016, co-principal investigators Dr. Gelareh Zadeh, Neurosurgeon-Scientist, Head of Surgical Oncology, and Dr. Ken Aldape, Neuropathologist-Scientist, Head of the MacFeeters Hamilton Centre for Neuro-Oncology Research at The Princess Margaret, published a study in a high-impact journal, Nature Genetics . It established, for the first time, the genomic landscape of schwannomas - a tumour of the peripheral nervous system which affects the tissue that protects the nerves. It is almost always benign (not cancerous) - in context of general population and those afflicted with neurofibromatosis. This landmark paper identifies previously unknown genetic mutations in schwannoma tumours in the brain or spine that may lead to tumour progression. The study also identifies a new protein that is expressed by 10 per cent of these tumours that can act as a therapeutic target. It has transformed our understanding of this tumour type, identified an additional tumour type that can be treated by precision medicine, and ultimately introduce a new treatment to what is available currently for schwannomas (surgical resection and radiation). Dr. Gelareh Zadeh Head, Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Read more stories: ThePMCF.ca/Transformers THE TRANSFORMERS