Our Cancer Campaign Surpasses Goal, Raising $21 Million for Lakeridge Health

Lakeridge Health Foundation’s Our Cancer Campaign has reached an exciting milestone, surpassing its goal and announcing a total of $21 million raised for Lakeridge Health.

Set out to advance cancer care in Durham Region and beyond, Our Cancer Campaign was established to bring our hospital system, the R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre (DRCC), and its supporting departments to the next echelon of cancer care.

Despite a global pandemic and economic pressures Our Cancer Campaign pushed past its original $20 million goal, inspiring over 24,000 donations from individuals, families, community groups and organizations who pledged their support to change the course of this disease.

“Fourteen years ago the Durham Region community rallied together to build what has become one of Ontario’s top-rated Cancer Centres. I was involved then and it was an honour to step up again for my community as a volunteer and donor,” shares Campaign Co-Chair Paul Mackie Sr. “The response has been incredible! We want everyone to know, announcing the completion of Our Cancer Campaign is not the end for us. In fact it marks the beginning of our commitment to transform cancer care for generations.”

Donations and investments through Our Cancer Campaign are making a significant impact at Lakeridge Health’s Oshawa Hospital, the Jerry Coughlan Health & Wellness Centre in Pickering, and beyond. The Campaign allowed for immediate funding of equipment as well as the establishment of Endowment Funds – investments that are made through Lakeridge Health Foundation in perpetuity for the annual needs of cancer care programs.

In three short years, cutting-edge technology has been announced and funded at Lakeridge Health in record time:

The Establishment of the Centre of Excellence in Robotic Surgery: In 2023 Lakeridge Health welcomed a da Vinci Surgical Robot to transform cancer surgery for urology, gynecology, thoracic and colorectal patients. Surgical robotics drastically improves patient experience with shorter stays and better outcomes, and provides surgeons with unparalleled control. Prior to last year, robotic surgery was not available between Kingston and Toronto. In its first year of operation, the surgical team will have completed over 300 robotic surgeries, surpassing their original goal.

Bringing PET-CT Technology East of the City: The introduction of a PET-CT scanner at Lakeridge Health in 2024 will take cancer care east of Toronto to a whole new level. A fusion of positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT), this technology will provide highly sensitive and specific three-dimensional scans that determine important information about a patient’s cancer. Approximately 30 patients a week are being sent outside our community to receive specialized PET-CT scans as part of their cancer diagnosis and treatment. The arrival of the PET-CT scanner in Oshawa will revolutionize Lakeridge Health’s ability to detect and monitor cancer, determine the size, location and stage of a patient’s cancer, the exact area to biopsy, better insights into treatment response and help gauge the likelihood of cancer returning.

Decreasing Wait Times for Cancer Diagnosis with Digital Pathology: Cancer diagnosis will soon be one click away. Surpassing the Campaign goal is allowing Lakeridge Health Foundation to take on yet another innovative priority – the amplification of digital pathology that will drastically decrease wait times for cancer diagnosis. With the digital pathology, pathologists can review cancer cells rapidly and from anywhere. Images from multiple lab sites can be uploaded, assessed and shared with partners faster than ever before, eliminating the need for physical transportation and ensuring the right experts weigh in for every patient. The need for pathology is higher than ever and complex cancer cases are on the rise. Artificial intelligence technology will also be introduced to support pathologists reviewing tissue samples, improving workflow and sthe peeding up of reporting time.

Donations to Our Cancer Campaign have led to a number of additional advancements including new stainers in the laboratory that help diagnose and stage cancer, hydrogel spacers in brachytherapy that significantly limit the side effects of some radiation therapies, critical upgrades to our surgical suites to allow for more minimally-invasive operations, gynecological lasers and scopes to support women’s health, and a new linear accelerator to provide radiation therapy to patients with various forms of cancer. These are just a few examples of the immense impact Our Cancer Campaign is having on Lakeridge Health’s patients, their families, health care providers, scientists and the larger Durham Region community.

“Since its launch in 2021, your donations to Our Cancer Campaign have helped us invest in every facet of cancer care from the laboratory and imaging suites to operating rooms, treatment areas, and education,” says Yves Gadler, CEO, Lakeridge Health Foundation. “Together we’re putting Durham Region on the map as a forward-thinking leader in cancer care – all thanks to community support. We are beyond grateful to everyone who has supported us. This is a celebration for us all!”