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B.C. Invests $4-Million for Cancer Research Chair at UBC

April 24, 2006

VANCOUVER – The BC Liberal government is providing $4 million to the Canadian Cancer Society to endow a research chair in the primary prevention of cancer at the University of British Columbia, fulfilling a commitment made in this year’s throne speech, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.

“B.C. has some of the best cancer outcomes in Canada, but prevention is the key to reducing the impact of cancer, not just on our health-care system but on our lives and families,” said Campbell. “Two more Canadians are diagnosed with cancer every seven minutes, but research suggests that diet and exercise may offer opportunities to reduce the risk for cancer. In partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society, we hope this new research will open up new understanding of how we can prevent cancer before it strikes.”

The Chair in Cancer Primary Prevention at UBC will help inform a national cancer prevention strategy by researching the links between diet, exercise, body weight, stress, and environmental carcinogens and specific types of cancer.

“We applaud the B.C. government for its leadership in this important and emerging area of cancer prevention,” said Barbara Kaminsky, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society’s B.C. and Yukon Division. “We believe prevention holds the most promise for reducing the burden of cancer, by preventing cancer from occurring in the first place. We expect other jurisdictions will strive to emulate this B.C. initiative.”

An estimated 153,100 new cases of cancer and 70,400 deaths from cancer will occur in Canada in 2006. In B.C., there will be an estimated 20,000 new cases of cancer and 8,800 deaths from cancer. This is 700 more new cases and 200 more deaths than 2005. The increased number of new cases of cancer is due primarily to an increasing and aging population

“This chair will be unique, both in North America and internationally, as it will focus on the primary prevention of cancer and not on preventing the reoccurrence of cancer,” said Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell. “B.C. research chairs are designed to attract world-class faculty to strengthen the province’s capacity for innovative research.”

According to statistics recently released by the Canadian Cancer Society, men and women in B.C. have the second-lowest overall incidence rates for cancer in Canada. B.C. women also have the lowest overall mortality rates for cancer and the lowest mortality rates for breast cancer. Men in B.C. have the lowest overall mortality rate for cancers in Canada, and the lowest mortality rate for prostate, colorectal and lung cancer

The $4 million in provincial funding will be made available from the Ministry of Advanced Education, and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation has also committed to provide an additional $750,000 towards the chair.

The Province has invested more than one billion dollars in research and innovation since 2001, including significant investments in research to improve treatments and seek cures for major health-care challenges such as Alzheimer’s disease, depression and spinal cord injuries.
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