Over 30,000 British Columbians will hear the words “You have cancer” from their doctor this year. But there is hope — and you can help by putting one foot in front of the other in the BMO Vancouver Marathon RUN4HOPE to help fuel leaps and bounds in life-saving cancer research and advancements in care.
Register as a charity runner for the BC Cancer Foundation (the largest funder of cancer research in the province, backed by a 100,000-strong community of donors) and help support ground-breaking clinical trials, pilot studies and enhancements in technology and treatment at BC Cancer.
Thanks to our generous supporters, BC Cancer is a global leader in cancer research and care, and has changed the way the world treats this disease. Innovation, cutting-edge research, precision treatment discoveries, early detection through enhanced screening and advancements in care have already changed the outcome for many patients. British Columbians continue to be offered some of the best cancer care in Canada, if not the world, because of breakthroughs made right here at home.
Over the years, BC Cancer achievements have made significant impacts — some highlights include:
- 2009: for the first time in history, all three billion letters in the DNA sequence of a metastatic lobular breast cancer tumour were decoded.
- 2012: unleashed the world-leading clinical study known as Personalized Onco-Genomics (POG) that integrates genomic sequencing into patient care and clinical decision-making for individuals with advanced and hard-to-treat cancers.
- 2016: installation of the VERO treatment system, a cutting-edge radiotherapy technology that delivers precise radiation to a tumour and avoids the healthy tissue surrounding it, giving new hope to lung, liver, pancreas, kidney and brain cancer patients.
- 2019: expanded the reach of PET/CT scans in underserved regions on Vancouver Island and in the Interior, eliminating the need for patients to endure the stress and costs of travelling to Vancouver.
- 2021: published the largest knowledge advancement in testicular cancer in over 25 years; a biomarker, which uses micro-RNAs found in blood to detect tumours, and can spare patients unnecessary chemotherapy or radiation.
Funds raised through this year’s BMO Vancouver Marathon RUN4HOPE will help support the next wave of advancements to care, providing new hope to families across our province facing this disease.
Please join our team as one of our BC Cancer Foundation runners and help us change the outcome for the one in two British Columbians who will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. To learn more about our efforts, visit bccancerfoundation.com
Facebook: facebook.com/BCCancerFoundation/
Twitter/Instagram: @bccancerfdn