Canadian government invests $10 million in access to cancer care

Queen’s researchers are part of a new, $10.1-million federally-funded program to provide better access to cancer treatment, from prevention to palliative care.

William Mackillop (Community Health & Epidemiology) leads the Queen’s CIHR Team in Access to Quality Radiotherapy. The team aims to improve cancer outcomes in Canada by developing, disseminating and evaluating quality standards for radiotherapy programs.

Seven CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) research teams from universities across the country will participate in the five-year program

“Evidence, based on solid scientific research, is key to informed health decision-making,” said CIHR president Alan Bernstein, in making the announcement. “The seven teams being funded will provide exactly the kinds of evidence that cancer patients, policy makers and family doctors need to improve the quality of cancer care across Canada.”

Head of the Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology at Queen’s Cancer Research Institute, Dr. Mackillop is a radiation oncologist with expertise in health service research. His team will attempt to improve cancer outcomes by providing the information necessary to maximize the benefits of existing technologies within the limits of available resources.

The researchers will seek ways to:
· Improve access to care
· Improve the quality of care at the population level; and
· Improve clinical decision-making at the level of the individual patient.

For further details on the new program, see the CIHR web site.

Contacts:

Nancy Dorrance, 613.533.2869, nancy.dorrance@queensu.ca, or Lorinda Peterson, 613.533.3234, lorinda.peterson@queensu.ca, Queen’s News & Media Services,

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