Gastrointestinal & Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research Program
The Rick Baker Centre for Pancreatic Cancer
On July 17, 2019, London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF) announced the formation of The Baker Centre for Pancreatic Cancer at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) following a donation of $1.5M from Rick and Shelley Baker of London. The newly created Baker Centre will result in improved access to care, more targeted personalized treatment and new treatment options for pancreatic cancer patients.
The centre will offer a multidisciplinary clinic, new diagnostic technology, steamlined process for patients and the development of a new Gastrointestinal & Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research Program (GPCTRP). Once established, the GPCTRP will consist of a diverse group of clinicians and basic and translational scientists collaborating on a common goal: to discover new biomarkers associated with gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers, and use them to achieve earlier diagnosis, more accurate staging, and more effective treatments.
Biomarkers can be biological molecules or altered biological processes originating in, or resulting from cancer cells which may be useful in a variety of ways. These biomarkers help identify the presence of a specific cancer; provide staging or prognostic information; or predict response to a specific treatment. Despite this promise, many clinically relevant biomarkers have yet to be discovered or tested in gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers.
A group of clinical researchers, with expertise in imaging, diagnosis, and treatment of these cancers, will be teaming up with accomplished basic and translational laboratory scientists to discover novel biomarkers, and to bring these into routine clinical use.
The Centre will service patients from London and communities across Southwestern Ontario. To donate to The Baker Centre for Pancreatic Cancer, please contact Pam Taylor at the London Health Sciences Foundation office.
