QEII Foundation celebrates 1.5$-million grant from Breast Cancer Society of Canada

HALIFAX, Oct. 29, 2014 /CNW/ - In Nova Scotia, one in nine women will face a breast cancer diagnosis and every second day a Nova Scotia family loses someone to the disease. This alarming reality continues to bring together key organizations as partners in advancing breast cancer research and treatment.

Today, the QEII Foundation celebrates a grant of $1.5-million from the Breast Cancer Society of Canada, which brings the Society's total investment to the Foundation to over $2.4-million. The QEII Foundation's long-standing partnership with the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute enables these funds to support research initiatives that are bridging the worlds of scientific discovery and breast cancer treatment for patients.

Working together to fight breast cancer is a vision that Marsha Davidson, Executive Director of the Breast Cancer Society of Canada, promotes. "The Breast Cancer Society of Canada is proud to fund new ideas and new solutions. We exist to save lives and we are confident that this support will make an impact on existing and future breast cancer patients."

Through research, new ways are discovered to manage the disease and extend the lives of patients. "The funds received will be aimed at improving detection, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and supportive care of breast cancer patients," explains Dr. Michael Johnston, Director, Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute. "A portion of this new grant will support graduate students who work and train with established breast cancer researchers in Atlantic Canada, ensuring that the future of breast cancer research is in good hands."  

As October's Breast Cancer Awareness month winds down, this investment from Breast Cancer Society of Canada demonstrates a dedicated collaboration in working together to fight breast cancer. 

"We are proud of our partnership with the Breast Cancer Society of Canada and the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute and all we have accomplished together," says Bill Bean, President and CEO, QEII Foundation. "Breast Cancer Society of Canada funds have already done so much to impact the breast cancer research environment in our community and all of Atlantic Canada. It is inspiring to imagine what more we can achieve through this partnership over the coming years."

About the Breast Cancer Society of Canada

Established in 1991, the Breast Cancer Society of Canada is a national registered charity whose mandate is to find a cure for breast cancer and improve the quality of life for survivors through Canadian research into prevention, detection, and treatment.

About Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute

The Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute was created to foster a powerful and productive cancer research effort in Atlantic Canada. It is a virtual institute that brings together a diverse community of cancer researchers in pursuit of a common goal: to save lives and ease the burden of cancer on individuals, families and society. The institute provides a meeting place for researchers to share ideas and forge new collaborations. It also offers a key entry point for members of the public who want to learn more about cancer research in the region, for people seeking training and careers in cancer research, and for people who want to support cancer research.

About the QEII Foundation

The QEII Foundation inspires generosity to advance health care at the QEII Health Sciences Centre. With financial support from all levels of the community, the QEII Foundation helps fund new technologies, medical research, innovation, and professional education that contribute to life-changing moments experienced every day by patients and their loved ones. By working together with people who share a vision of better health, the Foundation strengthens care delivered at the QEII, improving the health and lives of Atlantic Canadians.

SOURCE: QEII FOUNDATION

Tanya MacLean, director of communications, QEII Foundation, Cell: 902 489 5664, Email: [email protected]