It is estimated that 2 in 5 Canadians will develop cancer throughout their lifetime. Sinai Health System’s Christopher Sharp Cancer Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital has the largest specialized cancer program in Ontario. Patients from across the province are regularly referred to the program for the rare expertise of Mount Sinai’s pathologists, medical oncologists and surgical oncologists. Over 4,000 patients per year receive chemotherapy at Mount Sinai Hospital, and nearly 2,000 patients per year come to Mount Sinai for cancer surgery.

One of the novel new treatments bringing hope to cancer patients is Precision Chemotherapy, funded by the Panov Program. The program is an initiative inspired by Yaron Panov’s own cancer journey when his wife, Dr. Rochelle Schwartz and his family physician, Dr. Sharla Lichtman, discovered an innovative program being piloted in Baltimore and Israel, a treatment that has added years on to Yaron’s life.

The treatment allows oncologists to graft small pieces of a patient’s tumour onto a group of specialized “avatar” mice. The mice are treated with different chemotherapy drugs to see which ones work best. Doctors then prescribe the same drug to the cancer patient. To date, the Panov Family and Dr. Lichtman have raised over $1 million in community support to launch the program’s first major clinical project, an international study that will systematically validate the use of tumour grafts as a tool for treatment selection in cancer patients. Mount Sinai Hospital is the only Canadian contributor to this crucial study.

Pearl Marcus was a part of this innovative program, but sadly passed away before she could try a drug that may have extended her life. Your support of this program propels critical work that will impact how we treat patients, give hope to families and ultimately help us save more lives.