February 4th is World Cancer Day, an occasion which the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI) takes to reflect on the role of the institute in the broader ecosystem of cancer research and cancer care. Since 2022, World Cancer Day has featured an ongoing campaign centered around addressing barriers to cancer care to 鈥楥lose the care gap鈥�. In 2024 the third year of the campaign is about bring attention to this issue to higher levels by challenging those in positions of power to confront inequity in care and invest resources towards closing this gap. More information about the campaign is available on the .
The GCI is home to trainees who currently embody leadership through involvement with diverse initiatives, and who will one day be leaders in their chosen careers. Ozgun Varole is one such student who, through her role as the president of the Goodman Cancer Student Society, represents the ambitions trainees hold for the future of the research ecosystem. Reflecting on the meaning of the World Cancer Day theme, she shared 鈥淎s a trainee at the GCI and president of the GCSS, I'm dedicated to a two-fold commitment: prioritizing inclusivity in my research and advocating for diverse conversations and initiatives on cancer equity within the GCI and our local community. My goals as a student leader include fostering inclusivity, raising awareness, and cultivating collaboration. Additionally, I believe leaders in cancer research and care should focus on inclusivity, patient empowerment, and international cooperation for impactful change. Closing the care gap in cancer demands a collective effort. As the next generation of cancer researchers, we, as trainees, must amplify underrepresented voices. By championing innovation, diversity, and a holistic approach, we can reshape the landscape of cancer research and care collaboratively.鈥�
Faculty members of the GCI share the goal of challenging people in positions of power to better support cancer care and research. For professor Peter Seigel, teamwork is an essential part of reaching this aim. 鈥淢y goal as a cancer researcher is to better understand how cancer cells acquire the ability to spread from the site where they first originate to distant locations in the body. By increasing our understanding of this process, which is called metastasis, we hope to identify potential therapeutic targets or interventions that will lead to better control of metastatic disease. I have found that the best way to realize these goals is to work collaboratively with bright and dedicated trainees and scientists in my own laboratory, as well as forming productive collaborations with other academic laboratories and industry partners. It is only through such a team approach that we can hope to make progress against metastatic cancers鈥�, Dr. Siegel emphasized.
On a day of togetherness in our community, The GCI is proud to belong to a number of research networks which strive towards the World Cancer Day goal of improving cancer care. The GCI is part of the Qu茅bec Cancer Consortium (QCC), Montreal Cancer Consortium (MCC), Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network (MOHCCN), the FRQS-funded R茅seau de Recherche sur le Cancer (RRCancer), the McGill Lung Cancer Research Network and many others. Through these initiatives, GCI researchers are hard at work with in the Canadian cancer research network to better outcomes for cancer patients. For more information about how the cancer research ecosystem is working towards this goal, follow the World Cancer Day campaign on social media through the hashtags #WorldCancerDay #ClosetheCareGap.