Wait times for cancer radiation treatment continued their decline across Ontario during 2009, despite a more than 10 per cent increase in the number of patients receiving treatment, according to the 2010 Cancer System Quality Index report issued today.

Six Ontario researchers have received funding of $500,000 or $1 million to further cancer research over the next five years, Cancer Care Ontario’s Research Program announced today.

Five Ontarians whose kindness, compassion and professionalism has made life better for cancer survivors will be honoured at Cancer Care Ontario’s fourth annual Human Touch Awards

Currently an estimated 7,800 Ontarians are diagnosed with lung cancer and approximately 6,000 die of the disease each year. Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke continue to be the main risk factors...

Ontario marks a milestone in 2009 surpassing the federal target for radiation therapy wait times, demonstrating that the province has continued to improve access to this important cancer treatment.

Health system front line providers were recognized for their contributions towards improving cancer care at the fourth annual Quality and Innovation Awards on Dec 2.

Ontario marks a milestone with the announcement of the province’s first CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery treatment option for cancer patients at Juravinski Cancer Centre. The technology will offer many cancer patients an effective alternative to surgery for some cancers.

2009 recipients of the Cancer Care Ontario Research Chairs Program announced.

Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) announces Rick Skinner as new Vice President (VP) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) to lead the organization’s Chief Information Office portfolio.

Despite improvements to the cancer system including lower smoking rates and better screening and care for colorectal cancer patients, this year’s Cancer System Quality Index also reports that the increasing burden of cancer is beginning to strain parts of the cancer system.

Front-line health care professionals and providers honoured for providing exemplary and compassionate care at Cancer Care Ontario's third annual Human Touch Awards.

Health Promotion Minister, 50 year old Margarett Best marked an important milestone for cancer screening today as she became the 1 millionth woman screened by the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP)

This March put your health on your to do list and learn about ColonCancerCheck, Canada’s first and only province-wide organized colorectal screening program.

Today health and workplace safety organizations, businesses, and labour groups joined forces with a common goal of reducing workplace cancer, and officially launched Canada’s first centre dedicated solely to research in occupational cancers.

Despite the current difficult economic climate, we must stay the course and remain committed to the goals and priorities set out in the 2008-2011 Ontario Cancer Plan, according to a progress report issued today by Cancer Care Ontario.

Cancer Care Ontario’s (CCO) Molecular Oncology Task Force released its first report which describes the current state and makes recommendations on improving access to and quality of genetic testing in Ontario to keep pace with advancing technologies in this field.

Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) is working with Ontario pathologists and hospitals to improve the way that pathology reports are created. Pathology related to cancer, is the branch of medicine that studies tumours and diagnoses cancers. The new system uses synoptic pathology reporting checklists to ensure that information in the report is standardized and complete, which ultimately improves patient treatment decisions and outcomes.

Health system leaders from across the province are meeting today at Cancer Care Ontario's (CCO) Cancer Leadership Forum to discuss how information technology is changing cancer control and the delivery of cancer services in Ontario. The theme for this year's conference is Cancer 2.0: Bringing the Information Revolution to Cancer Control and builds on CCO's recent release of its 2008-2011 Information Strategy.

Researchers from Ottawa and Toronto played a key role in an international team that identified four new genes for colorectal cancer. The discovery, published online in Nature Genetics on November 16, 2008, examined 38,710 genetic markers in 13,315 individuals from four countries. A total of 10 genes have now been linked to colorectal cancer, and together these genes could predict up to a six fold increase in the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer.

Family physicians and nurses play a critical role in cancer screening and throughout the cancer journey. They greatly influence patient screening behaviours and help to make sure that the cancer system meets local patient care needs. Today, Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) launched a Primary Care and Cancer Strategy to strengthen the connection between family medicine and the cancer system.

Screening saves lives: regular mammograms for women aged 50-69 reduce deaths from breast cancer by up to a third. Close to 63 per cent of Ontario women are being screened for mammograms every two years but we need to do better. Find out why women don’t get screened and why they should.

Grand River Hospital and Cancer Care Ontario are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Craig McFadyen as the new regional vice president responsible for the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre and the Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program.

Cancer patients in Ontario live longer and enjoy a better quality of life than ever before because of advancements stemming from research. Cancer Care Ontario is today announcing the 2008 recipients of the Cancer Care Ontario Research Chairs, a program that will further strengthen Ontario’s cancer research capacity.

A pilot project is underway that will see the North East Regional Cancer Program and the Aboriginal Cancer Care Unit of Cancer Care Ontario take the message of colorectal cancer prevention and screening directly to First Nations communities.

Results of the 2008 Cancer System Quality Index show that key cancer services in Ontario are more accessible, timely and safe, while additional effort is needed to raise screening rates and address the needs of Aboriginals and other underserved communities.

The cancer journey is a journey no one wants to make. To assist patients during this difficult time health care professionals not only treat the physical symptoms of the disease but also the emotional ones. Today, Cancer Care Ontario presented the Second Annual Human Touch Awards to honour front-line cancer care professionals from across the province for providing exceptional and compassionate care to cancer patients.

Cancer Care Ontario will recognize and honour health care professionals and providers in the cancer system that demonstrate exceptional and compassionate patient care during the Second Annual Human Touch Awards on April 24.

An international study has uncovered, for the first time, an important genetic region associated with lung cancer risk. As published in the April 3, 2008 edition of scientific journal Nature, results show that chromosome 15 is associated with lung cancer, and provides new clues on how smoking tobacco can cause this cancer.

Cancer Care Ontario today released the 2008-2011 Ontario Cancer Plan, an action plan designed to boost cancer screening rates, improve access to diagnostic and treatment services, make cancer services better and safer, and put new cancer research into practice, faster.

Cancer Care Ontario received the Diamond Award, the top national award in the not-for-profit sector for overall excellence in information technology…

Cervical Cancer Awareness Week (October 22 to 28) marks an historic turning point in the fight against cervical cancer. With the addition of HPV vaccination to regular cervical screening, there is the potential to eradicate this preventable cancer.

The number of women aged 50-69 requiring regular breast screening has increased by 3.3 per cent this year and more of these women are benefiting from the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP).

Cancer Care Ontario has received the prestigious gold award for Innovation Management from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) for developing and deploying a Wait Time Information System (WTIS), a critical component of Ontario’s Wait Time Strategy.

Researchers at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and Cancer Care Ontario have successfully identified a specific genetic variation on chromosome 8 that is associated with colorectal cancer. This is the first genetic predictor that has been identified for the most common forms of colorectal cancer to date and may play a significant role in how people are screened for the disease.

Results of the 2007 Cancer System Quality Index – an online report that tells us how Ontario’s cancer system is performing – shows that cancer treatment wait times and quality are improving, but screening rates have stalled and more needs to be done to support people dying of cancer.

Cancer Care Ontario and Canada Health Infoway today announced the expansion of a proven innovative tool that will help reduce medication errors, improve efficiency in the delivery of cancer care and facilitate communication within care provider teams.

Cancer Care Ontario supports the International Union Against Cancer as it marks World Cancer Day on Sunday, February 4th, providing an opportunity to shine a light on notable gains in cancer prevention and areas where more action is needed through this year’s campaign, "Today's children, tomorrow's world," focused on cancer prevention.

The Ontario Cancer Plan: 2006-07 Annual Progress Report released today shows that cancer prevention, detection and treatment has improved this past year, but more action is needed to reduce cancer risks and ensure timely, high quality care is delivered consistently across the province.

A new study published today in Cancer Causes Control suggests that foods containing phytoestrogens, if consumed during adolescence, may help to reduce the risk of breast cancer later in life.

While progress is being made in cancer prevention and screening, the total number of newly diagnosed cancers could grow dramatically as Ontario’s population grows and ages, unless more action is taken, according to a report by Cancer Care Ontario’s Provincial Cancer Prevention and Screening Council and released in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society.

Since the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) began in 1990 it has provided more than two million screens to 718,000 Ontario women aged 50 and over and has detected over 10,500 cancers, the majority in early cancer stages.

Fewer young men in Canada are being diagnosed with cancer while the number for young women is stable, according to the Cancer in Young Adults in Canada report released today by Cancer Care Ontario in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Results of the 2006 Cancer System Quality Index shows that progress has been made to improve cancer treatment wait times and quality, but more needs to be done to improve cancer screening rates and increase access to end of life care outside of hospitals.

Median wait times for radiation therapy have dropped by 16 per cent – more than one week – across the province this year because of cancer centre expansions and new technologies, says the Ontario Cancer Plan: 2005 Progress Report. The report shows that investments and cancer control efforts in Ontario are helping to prevent cancer and improve the quality of care, and that sustained action is needed to stay ahead of this slow-moving epidemic.

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