U of M cancer researchers receive million-dollar grants

CHELSE MCKEE, STAFF

Two groups of cancer researchers at the U of M were awarded research grants of $1.4 and $1.5 million.

A total of seven grants were awarded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), chosen from 21 research proposals from across Canada.

Unlike the normal structure of simply asking for grant proposals, CIHR went directly to provincial cancer agencies and asked what research the agencies desired. The agenciesrequested more information about access to quality cancer care.\

With funding coming from the provincial cancer agencies and CIHR, the grants will fund the projects for five years.

The first project is informally titled the Knowledge Translation Net Team, or KT-NET.

Currently there is a cancer registry in Manitoba, which is an account of all Manitobans with cancer and their personal information such as their age of diagnosis. The registry allows researchers to examine the patterns in the information, like clusters and then use the information to look at potential risk factors.

At this time there are no sub-populations, like First Nations, included in the registry.

KT-NET aims to look at how cancer affects First Nations populations in Manitoba and how to make information on cancer patterns more accessible. The project group consists of nine doctors from areas such as Cancer Care Manitoba, Cancer Care Ontario and University of Manitoba’s Centre for Aboriginal Health Research.

KT-NET will focus on risk factors, patterns of cancer incidence and mortality, patterns of screening and the use of treatment, and the waiting times and outcomes like survival for the First Nations people.

According to the 2001 census by Statistics Canada, the number of aboriginal people residing in Manitoba is just over 150,000, making the province fourth highest in Canada for First Nation’s population.

KT-NET, for their proposal, plans to bring together health care providers, policy-makers, First Nations communities, front-line healthcare workers, and researchers to work together on the aims of the project.

The second project is entitled “Primary Care Oncology: New Emerging Team,” which is shortened to PCO-NET. They plan to focus on the role of the primary care practitioner, such as family physicians and nurse practitioners, in colorectal cancer care.

Dr. Donna Turner, a member of both research teams, explains the importance of the objective behind PCO-NET.

“This is an emerging area for cancer, as the focus on cancer health policy and research has traditionally been on specialist services. But primary care is the first contact with the health care system for most cancer patients, and it’s necessary for continuous, comprehensive and coordinated care.”

PCO-NET will concentrate on the role of family members in decision-making for colorectal cancer screening; community-based nursing support for family physicians in promoting screening, and the transfer of follow-up care from cancer specialists to family physicians after the main cancer treatment is completed.

“We have outstanding scientists working at the University of Manitoba,” university president Emöke Szathmáry said of the grant recipients. “They are putting their knowledge to the best use possible, by investigating issues that affect large sectors of our society. Their work will make an enormous difference in improving cancer services for members of First Nations as well as broader Canadian society.”