Newswise — CP24 has joined forces with The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation (PMHF) to help raise awareness for the ‘One Day’ breast cancer rapid diagnosis campaign. All day on Thursday, November 19, CP24 will broadcast from Princess Margaret Hospital featuring interviews with doctors and patients about one-day breast cancer diagnosis. The goal is to help secure the funding to help expand the program in order to diagnose more women and men.
Through the month of November, PMHF has been engaged in a fundraising campaign entitled ‘One Day,’ designed to build The Gattuso Rapid Diagnostic Centre, a groundbreaking program that provides a one-day diagnosis for women and men suspected of having breast cancer. Viewers can support the initiative through donating online (www.onedaypmh.ca), by phone (416-385-6161 or 1-800-994-5187) or through text giving (text GIVE to 30333 to make a $5 donation).
“The ‘One Day’ campaign is an exciting and innovative way to get Canadians the medical diagnosis they need in a timely fashion,” said Bob McLaughlin, Vice-President and General Manager, CP24. “CP24 prides itself on tackling the issues and events that are important to our viewers. A lot of people have been positively affected by this campaign and we’ll be on site to tell those stories.”
Paul Alofs, President and CEO of The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation added, “We are astounded by CP24’s generosity in dedicating ‘one day’ to The Gattuso Rapid Diagnostic Centre. Their initiative is outstanding. Between CP24’s assistance and the generosity of Emmanuelle Gattuso and Allan Slaight, we will be able to provide a new model of diagnosis for women and men. And if a one-day diagnosis can be done for breast cancer, we could soon see it done for other cancers as well.”
Wait times for diagnostic tests, results and treatment plans for individuals suspected of having breast cancer often take several weeks. This anxiety creates undue stress for the patient as well as family and friends. The Gattuso Rapid Diagnostic Centre allows patients who are referred by their family physician to undergo a physical exam, mammogram, ultrasound and, if needed, a tissue biopsy and receive the results within one day. If the lesion is malignant, a treatment plan is devised and given to the patient. Referral can then be made to breast surgeons, either at The Princess Margaret or closer to home.
Through an extraordinary gift from Emmanuelle Gattuso and Allan Slaight, Princess Margaret Hospital’s Breast Cancer Rapid Diagnosis pilot clinic received a $12.5 million donation in support of its $25 million to expand the services at the clinic. With this donation, the clinic was renamed The Gattuso Rapid Diagnostic Centre. The ‘One Day’ fundraising campaign is designed to secure the remaining $12.5 million required to take the program to full capacity.
Since its inception in 2006, funded in part by The Weekend To End Breast Cancer, more than 500 patients have gone through rapid diagnosis at The Princess Margaret. The fundraising campaign will enable the centre to expand with a goal of diagnosing 3,000 patients per year by the time the program is running at full capacity by 2013.
About CP24CP24 is Toronto’s source for breaking news. Following the mantra “we’re always with you,” viewers can watch CP24 on television, listen on the radio, and follow along online at CP24.com. The station is owned by CTV Inc, a division of CTVglobemedia.
About Princess Margaret HospitalPrincess Margaret Hospital and its research arm the Ontario Cancer Institute, which now includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute and The Campbell Family Breast Cancer Research Institute, have achieved an international reputation as one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world. Princess Margaret Hospital is a member of University Health Network which also includes Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital. All three are research hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto. More information about UHN can be found at www.uhn.ca.
About The Princess Margaret Hospital FoundationThe Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation at University Health Network raises funds for breakthrough research, exemplary teaching and compassionate care at Princess Margaret Hospital and its research arm, the Ontario Cancer Institute, which now includes The Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute and The Campbell Family Breast Cancer Research Institute. More information about the Foundation can be found at www.pmhf.ca.
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