AYA CAN - Canadian Cancer Advocacy

We’re proud to announce the 2023 recipients of our most prestigious annual awards. This year’s Canadian Cancer Society Awards for Excellence in Cancer Research recognize the outstanding achievements of 8 leading cancer researchers in Canada. Since 1993, these annual awards have recognized some of the most talented research leaders and innovators who have helped advance cancer research and improve outcomes for people with cancer. Watch the recipients talk about what this award means to them. Congratulations to all recipients! Read more about their research: https://lnkd.in/gy5QQ7Jx

Note to media (and everyone else)... Please. Stop. Doing. This. This woman did not "lose a battle" to cancer. She died of cancer. When a person dies from a heart attack, do we say "He lost his battle with heart disease" ? When a person dies from diabetes, do we say "She lost her battle with diabetes" ? When a person dies from a stroke, do we say, "He lost his battle with a narrowing blood vessel" ? No we don't. Let me repeat one of my favorite quotes, from the late great Stuart Scott: "When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live." And here's another favorite quote, from the late great Norm McDonald: “I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure if you die, the cancer dies at the same time. That’s not a loss. That’s a draw.”

Do you work with young people with cancer? Multidisciplinary experts from the Victorian Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Service, based at Peter Mac, are launching free courses to share their unique expertise to assist in navigating the best course of care for your patients. Read more and enrol: https://lnkd.in/gJs-RyGA

We have a new website! 🎉 ACCESS is a national research network connecting and empowering diverse people and organizations to conduct research, change policy, and develop new tools to ensure better lives for children who experience cancer in Canada. To support this unique collective of scientists, healthcare providers, partner organizations, advocates, patients, and their families, ACCESS has developed a comprehensive website that will act as a virtual ‘community hub’. Here, you can find the latest #pediatric cancer research, clinical advancements, educational resources, events, and stories from the community. Join our mission to advance childhood cancer experience, science, and survivorship. #WeAreACCESS Link: www.accessforkidscancer.ca

“My husband and I had been trying to expand our family for a while. I was eager to have another child, despite the weird little pains that had been cropping up since the birth of our first son. When I did get pregnant, though, I miscarried at 11 weeks. It was horrible. My body was slow to heal, but eventually I was ready to try again. We went to the fertility clinic here in Manitoba. There’s only one. They scheduled a laparoscopic procedure to look inside my abdomen and see if anything unusual was going on in there. Something unusual was. It was cancer. And it was everywhere. At first they thought it was ovarian cancer. Then gastrointestinal cancer. Then everyone was sure it was colon cancer. But the colonoscopy came up clear. I remember at one point a resident told me I was ‘a very interesting case.’ I told him I didn’t even know what that meant. It turns out, it’s not a good thing. I ended up starting chemotherapy still without a clear answer as to what type of cancer I had. And after that it was surgery. Basically all the ectomies. They took out my gallbladder, my spleen, my omentum, and my appendix. And they performed a radical hysterectomy. At no point did I feel like I was involved in my own care plan. It was only after testing all the bits they’d pulled out of me that they were able to determine it had been appendix cancer all along. From pregnancy, to miscarriage, to stage four cancer, to having my reproductive system removed, it happened so quickly, and without anyone asking me how I felt or what I wanted. I know my case was unique and urgent, and I’m glad I got the treatment I needed. But it could have been done with so much more compassion. And I know others are having the same awful experience. After all, every cancer case is unique. My son is nine now and, as he grew, he had so many questions. When he asked me why he didn’t have a brother or sister, I took great care to explain to him why mom wasn’t able to have any more kids. And now, because he understands, he’s able to be happy as an only child. I only wish anyone had taken similar care to help me understand what was happening to me in my cancer journey.” Chantale Winnipeg, MB Appendix cancer With AYA CAN - Canadian Cancer Advocacy