Queen’s oncologist named one of first Cancer Care Ontario Research Chairs

A Queen’s University oncologist has received one of the first of seven Cancer Care Ontario Research Chairs announced today in Thunder Bay.

Queen’s cancer researcher and medical oncologist at Kingston General Hospital Christopher Booth will receive $500,000 over five years to help fund his research on patterns of care. The funding will allow him to build a chemotherapy database to describe the treatment and outcome of all patients with cancer in Ontario.

“With the chemotherapy database we hope to provide information about how patients with cancer are being treated in Ontario, and whether the benefits and side effects of chemotherapy in the real world are what one would expect based on the results of clinical trials,” says Dr. Booth.

The Cancer Care Ontario Research Chairs program, aimed at strengthening Ontario’s cancer research capacity, is designed to attract leading new scientists to Ontario and support outstanding scientists already working in the province. It is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

“At one point or another every Ontarian will be touched by cancer,” says Terrence Sullivan, president and CEO of Cancer Care Ontario. “The Cancer Care Ontario Research Chairs will generate a critical mass of scientists focused on quickly translating research findings into improvements in cancer services and clinical care for cancer patients.”