Pancreatic cancer research gets $1.4M from Nova Scotia non-profits
Three non-profit groups in Nova Scotia are hoping a new donation will help increase the survival rate of Canadians with pancreatic cancer.
Craig's Cause Pancreatic Cancer Society, the QEII Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society Nova Scotia division are contributing a total of $1.4 million to be distributed to pancreatic cancer research initiatives across Canada.
"Less than one per cent of all cancer research funding goes to pancreatic cancer, even though it's the fourth leading cause of all cancer deaths and even though it has the highest fatality," said Stefanie Condon-Oldreive, president of Craig's Cause Pancreatic Cancer Society.
"There are thousands of people dying and diagnosed each year so it's significantly behind in terms of research funding."
Condon-Oldreive created Craig's Cause after her father died of pancreatic cancer in 2006, only two months after his diagnosis.
"We promised each other that we would ensure that that research continued after he had passed," said Condon-Oldreive, who had tears in her eyes as she announced her society's contribution of $500,000 to the pancreatic cancer fund.
It's research money that is well received by doctors, including the Halifax surgeon who performed surgery on Condon-Oldreive's father after his cancer diagnosis.
'Key of improving survival'
"Pancreatic cancer has a very high potential for being one of the cancers that will benefit a lot from new research or new ways of doing research," said Dr. Michele Molinari.
Early diagnosis is one of the areas Molinari hopes can be improved with more research. Typically, the survival rate for pancreatic cancer is about eight per cent.
"I think early diagnosis and pancreatic cancer is the key of improving survival," Molinari said.
"If we are able to do that by maybe increasing the ability of … early referral, as well as reducing the time of diagnostics or for those tests that are useful to pancreatic cancer, then we will make a big difference."
The $1.4-million donation announced on Monday is the largest donation from Atlantic Canada for pancreatic cancer research, the non-profit groups said.
Condon-Oldreive said her father would have been impressed with the amount.
"Today we're finally going to give it the funding it needs to have those advancements that so many other cancers have had that opportunity to have," she said.
Craig's Cause contributed $500,000 — $300,000 of which was raised in partnership with the QEII Foundation.
The QEII Foundation committed an additional $200,000 and the Canadian Cancer Society matched that total — $700,000 — for a total of $1.4 million.
