OICR and Cancer Care Ontario Announce Funding for the Health Services
Research Program to Improve the Delivery of Cancer Care in Ontario

Long-term Effects of Women's Cancer Drugs to be Studied

TORONTO, July 12 /CNW/ - Dr. Tom Hudson, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), and Dr. Terrence Sullivan, President and CEO of Cancer Care Ontario (CCO), announce $6 million in funding for projects in the Health Services Research Program (HSRP). The HSRP, conducted jointly between the OICR and CCO, will improve the delivery of cancer care throughout the province.

"This funding will provide Ontario's researchers with the support they need to ensure that the delivery of cancer care in the province is continually improving," said Dr. Hudson. "Additionally, we hope to provide a benchmark for other jurisdictions, specifically in important areas such as women's cancer survivorship."

Under the Program, the Women's Cancer Survivorship Team - studying the late and long-term effects of cancer drug therapy - will receive over $800,000 in funding.

Using an interdisciplinary approach, the Women's Cancer Survivorship Team, led by Drs. Geoff Anderson and Paula Rochon of Women's College Hospital, will study the complex interplay between cancer and other medical conditions in survivors of early stage breast cancer that have been treated with the latest generation of cancer drugs.

"This funding will be applied to important health services research focused on the cancer system," said Dr. Sullivan. "Through the translation of these research findings, we will uncover practical ways of organizing cancer services. This will result in better overall outcomes for cancer patients."

Minister of Research and Innovation John Milloy said, "Our government supports research that delivers health and economic benefits for the people of Ontario. These initiatives are important for the sustainability of our excellent health care system and the prosperity of our province."

The projects funded include:

• CCO/OICR Health Services Research Network;
• Women's cancer survivorship team: Late effects of cancer drug therapy;
• Investigating the impact of the Colon Cancer Check: Primary care invitation pilot;
• Knowledge Translation Research Network;
• Evaluation of a health care policy intervention to change the organization and delivery of lung cancer surgery in Ontario;
• Patient and provider reported outcomes in cancer patients in Ontario;
• Case costing of cancer in Ontario;
• The Ontario Cancer Data Linkage Project.

"This unprecedented investment in cancer health services research is contributing to a future in which fewer people develop cancer, those who do are diagnosed promptly and at earlier stages, treatment is safer, more equitable, and of higher quality, and the cancer system is economically sustainable," said Dr. Craig Earle, Program Leader, Health Services Research.

About the Health Services Research Program

The Program will allow Ontario to optimize its delivery of cancer services and ensure that innovative cancer research translates into improved care. It will build research capacity by extending funding for health services research to the cancer care system.

The Program is a partnership between OICR and CCO, with $5.6 million in funding from OICR and $1 million from CCO being provided. The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer will also fund the program during its first year, with $75,000 to broaden a knowledge translation synthesis project to a national perspective.

About the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

OICR is a centre of excellence, moving Ontario to the forefront of discovery and innovation in cancer research. OICR is making Ontario more effective in knowledge transfer and commercialization, to maximize health and economic benefits of research findings for the people of Ontario. For more information, please visit the website at www.oicr.on.ca/

OICR is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Research and Innovation.

About Cancer Care Ontario

Cancer Care Ontario is the government's cancer advisor and provincial agency responsible for overseeing, planning, and managing the performance of cancer services from prevention to treatment to palliative care.

For more information, please visit www.cancercare.on.ca

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research/Cancer Care Ontario
Health Services Research Network Backgrounder

Project: Cancer Care Ontario/Ontario Institute for Cancer Research - Health Services Research Network
Principle Investigator: Dr. Craig Earle
Research Institute: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center
Description: The Health Services Research Network will support Ontario researchers in conducting innovative, high-priority, and policy-relevant cancer health services research. This will be accomplished by building on existing infrastructure and improving the resources available to cancer health service researchers to investigate important topics, such as:

• improving the coordination of care and access;
• increasing screening participation;
• developing quality of care standards and benchmarks.

Project: Women's Cancer Survivorship Team: Late Effects of Cancer Drug Therapy
Principle Investigators: Drs. Geoffrey Anderson and Paula Rochon
Research Institute: Women's College Hospital
Description: This team will address clinically important research questions related to the long-term and late effects of treatment for women's cancers.

Project: Investigating the Impact of the Colon Cancer Check: Primary Care Invitation Pilot
Principle Investigator: Dr. Linda Rabeneck
Research Institute: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center
Description: The primary care invitation pilot will evaluate strategies to improve population-based cancer screening by testing the technical feasibility of using Ontario's unique data systems to identify eligible members of the population who are over-due for screening. In addition, it will institute a large scale mailing, including a colorectal cancer screening invitation, from primary care providers.

Project: Knowledge Translation Research Network
Principle Investigator: Dr. Eva Grunfeld
Research Institute: University of Toronto
Description: The project will accelerate the translation of clinical research findings into health care policy and practice.

Project: Evaluation of a Health Care Policy Intervention to Change the Organization and Delivery of Lung Cancer Surgery in Ontario
Principle Investigator: Dr. David Urbach
Research Institute: University Health Network
Description: This study will evaluate the results of Cancer Care Ontario's policy to regionalize lung cancer surgery. It will look at the distribution and outcomes of lung cancer surgery in Ontario hospitals.

Project: Patient and Provider Reported Outcomes in Cancer Patients in Ontario
Principle Investigator: Dr. Lisa Barbera
Research Institute: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Description: By linking existing data on patient- and provider-reported outcomes with administrative data, the study will explore the associations between symptom burden and functional status with health service use.

Project: Case Costing of Cancer in Ontario
Principle Investigator: Dr. Nicole Mittmann
Research Institute: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Description: This project will develop methods to use Ontario's administrative data for economic evaluation. It will also study the determinants of cost for cancer care in Ontario.

Project: The Ontario Cancer Data Linkage Project
Principle Investigator: Dr. Craig Earle
Research Institute: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Description: This project will produce a data release mechanism called 'cd-link' that will enhance the data resources available for cancer health services research in Ontario.

For further information:

Rhea Cohen
Director of Communications - Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]

Jessica Pontone
Public Affairs - Cancer Care Ontario
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: [phone] x 2937