Revolutionary New Breast Imaging Technology Comes to Canada

St. Joseph’s Health Care London is the first medical centre in Canada to install the new Senographe Pristina from GE Healthcare, which allows women to control their own comfort level during a mammogram.

London, ON - On Tuesday August 15, St. Joseph's Health Care London will unveil the first Canadian installation of the Senographe Pristina, a groundbreaking new breast imaging platform from GE Healthcare, designed by women for women.

“The new Pristina mammography unit offers a totally different mammography experience for women. It’s a complete departure from the mammogram exam as we know it,” said Dr. Anat Kornecki, Medical Director, Breast Imaging, at the Breast Care Program located at St. Joseph’s Hospital, part of St. Joseph’s Health Care London. “I believe the innovative design of the Pristina will be more inviting for women and help us improve the screening rates so vital to cancer prevention.”

Women can take breast health into their own hands with the Pristina’s first in-industry patient-assisted compression tool, a remote that allows patients to personally control and adjust the rate of compression during the exam. Designed with a woman’s comfort in mind, all parts in contact with the patient's breasts have gentle, rounded corners designed to help reduce discomfort and anxiety. With more comfortable patients, technologists can focus on precise positioning, making the exam more accurate and efficient.

The Pristina also allows patients to enjoy a soothing ambiance with various scenes and music available.

Media are invited view the Senographe Pristina, talk with the first Canadian patients to use the unit, and interview St. Joseph’s and GE Healthcare leaders.

What: The first Canadian installation of revolutionary breast cancer technology, the Senographe Pristina.

Where: St. Joseph's Hospital | 268 Grosvenor St | London, ON | Diagnostic Imaging Centre, Zone C, Level 0, Room C0-200 (closest entrance is Cheapside Entrance 4)

When: Tuesday, August 15 | Interviews start at 3:30 PM | Tour of machine at 4:30 PM

Who: Interviews are available with:

Dr. Anat Kornecki, Medical Director - Breast Imaging, St. Joseph’s Breast Care Program, and Regional Breast Imaging Lead, South West Regional Cancer Program
Heather Chalmers, General Manager, GE Healthcare Canada
First Canadian patients to use Pristina

Internet of Medical Things Shakes Up the Development of Medical Devices with Analytics and Cloud

Blockchain technology to mitigate security challenges and help IoMT providers tap growth opportunities, finds Frost & Sullivan’s TechVision team

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – August 10, 2017 – As patients are increasingly asserting their right to choose the therapy that best suits them, demand for better access to their medical data is intensifying. The shift in the balance of power during decision making is compelling healthcare providers to find more efficient ways of extracting meaningful information from medical records to present to patients. This has heightened the need for analytics to process the voluminous data produced by advanced, connected and smarter patient monitoring devices, which, consecutively, has turned the spotlight on the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). Meaningful insights accrued from the range of connected medical devices and monitoring tools can help patients make lifestyle changes or better manage an existing disease, and simultaneously aid clinicians by facilitating decision making.

“Sharing of medical data or transmission of medical data through the cloud is a recent trend and is gaining traction, even in developing nations, with the healthcare industry becoming digitized,” observed Frost & Sullivan TechVision Industry Analyst Bhargav Rajan. “IoMT will accelerate the development of advanced medical devices that can seamlessly transfer structured information to electronic health records more efficiently than existing technologies.”

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) Revolutionizing Healthcare is part of Frost & Sullivan’s TechVision (Medical Devices & Imaging) Growth Partnership Subscription. IoMT is an amalgamation of medical devices and applications that can connect to healthcare IT systems using networking technologies. The analysis covers product-centric and process-centric functions of the technology.

To access more information on this analysis, please click here.

While the benefits are many, IoMT has inherent IT security vulnerabilities that expose highly sensitive data to cyber and phishing attacks. Technologists are attempting to resolve this issue by employing blockchain technology, which enables a highly secure, decentralized framework for data sharing. Using a combination of artificial intelligenceand blockchain technology, companies can keep an audit trail of all transactions. Predictive modeling used in combination with big data analytics can reduce healthcare costs and improve patient experiences and outcomes.

“Blockchain technology in IoMT will allow patient records to be automatically fed with real-time data of the patients, which will subsequently be sent to healthcare providers over a secure network through a web-enabled platform,” noted Rajan. “Through this process, personalized care can be delivered to a patient in a remote location.”

About TechVision

Frost & Sullivan's global TechVision practice is focused on innovation, disruption and convergence, and provides a variety of technology-based alerts, newsletters and research services as well as growth consulting services. Its premier offering, the TechVision program, identifies and evaluates the most valuable emerging and disruptive technologies enabling products with near-term potential. A unique feature of the TechVision program is an annual selection of 50 technologies that can generate convergence scenarios, possibly disrupt the innovation landscape, and drive transformational growth. View a summary of our TechVision program by clicking on the following link: http://ifrost.frost.com/TechVision_Demo.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community.

Digital Health Market Update: Entering a Next-Generation of Digital Transformation in Healthcare

Frost & Sullivan hosts a complimentary briefing discussing innovations in the digitization of healthcare

SANTA CLARA, Calif. August 8, 2017

WHEN:	Tuesday, 29^th August 2017 at 1:00 pm EDT

LOCATION:	On-line, with Complimentary Registration
SPEAKER:	Daniel Ruppar, Global Program Director, Digital Health, Frost & Sullivan

Digital health brings a diverse range of growth opportunities for vendors across the value chain. As the space evolves we have experienced a multitude of stepwise successes and stellar failures, yet funding continues to flood the sector. Major moves continue to come into the industry from the broader vendor environment, underlining the importance of health in everyone’s lives and progressively in strategic interests of the C-Suite across the ecosystem, from provider to payer to vendor organizations.

To attend the webinar, please click here or email Mariana Fernandez, Corporate Communications: mariana.fernandez@frost.com

“What is exciting about digital health is the continued progression of investment, innovation, the change in conversation, and the understanding of old and new stakeholders’ needs. The road for digital transformation in healthcare will be a long one, yet it is one where all kinds of great companies, innovators, payers, providers, and consumers want to be a part of, which shows the promise of this market,” explained Daniel Ruppar, Digital Health Global Program Director, at Frost & Sullivan.

Healthcare delivery is evolving throughout the continuum of care, creating both new drivers and challenges. Stakeholders must overcome the data and information hurdles leveraging progressive improvements in health IT to form the backbone of collaborative and unified patient care, across all environments and points of experience in the patient journey. New models, digital tools, data driven treatment decisions, and learnings from global markets all present opportunities to solve challenges currently faced in healthcare. The progression of topics like artificial intelligence (AI) in areas from hard analytics usage to consumer platforms, or extensive market discussions about the telehealth value in mental health, demonstrate that this transformation is in progress.

Join Frost & Sullivan in this webinar update showcasing a variety of different facets of the market and continue to learn why there’s something for everyone in digital health!

Attend this webinar to discover the latest trends on:

• Highlights in new findings on diverse digital health sectors, such as data analytics, patient engagement, hospital health IT including workforce management software, and sleep tech.

• Leading investment telehealth areas identified in Frost & Sullivan research in 2017, and the further value of telebehavioral health.

• Consumer digital health platform progressions and integration of artificial intelligence.

• Will Apple’s Activity and Watch changes truly make a difference?

• Future impact components, including the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and blockchain.

About Frost & Sullivan

Mackenzie Health Launches First in Canada Epic End-to-End Electronic Medical Record

RICHMOND HILL, ON and VAUGHAN, ON, July 17, 2017 /CNW/ - On July 8, Mackenzie Health launched a new electronic medical record (EMR) that transforms the way care is delivered in this community. Implemented in collaboration with Epic, the software is the first full-suite Epic EMR to be installed in a Canadian hospital. A state-of-the-art system, the EMR makes it possible for the care team to spend more time with patients, provides physicians with exactly what they need to make important health care decisions quicker and empowers patients with easy access to their health records.

Mackenzie Health Launches First in Canada Epic End-to-End Electronic Medical Record (CNW Group/Mackenzie Health)

For patients, the new EMR brings a number of benefits, including a faster and more efficient registration process. Similar to the airport check-in process, patients who have scheduled appointments at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital can now swipe their health card on a Self-Serve Registration Kiosk, follow the simple instructions on screen, get an armband from a Patient Assistance representative and proceed to their appointment.

Registration for an appointment is even faster for patients who completed E Check-In through Mackenzie Health's new and improved MyChart. If patients are signed up for MyChart, they can register for their appointment up to seven days prior to their appointment and receive a barcode that they can scan at the hospital to indicate that they have arrived, get an armband and proceed to their appointment. MyChart is also available as an app.

In MyChart, patients can see their personal health information, view and cancel appointments and, in select areas, communicate with their care provider via written message. The patients' health record is also available to all those involved in their care, meaning that the entire care team has access to the same information and patients spend less time repeating questions or duplicating tests.

With computers available by the patients' bedside, nurses and physicians can document the care in real-time, as well as send orders directly to lab and pharmacy. The new EMR also increases medication safety and reduces the chance for errors with closed loop medication administration and bar code validation at patient's bedside.

Epic, the software developer for the system, is recognized as a world leader in medical records and information technology which has implemented its systems in thousands of hospitals worldwide and will be implementing them in several Canadian hospitals over the next few years.

QUOTES

"Our vision at Mackenzie Health is to create a world-class health experience for our patients and families, and ensure they receive the highest quality care possible. The implementation of the new electronic medical record supports this vision and will influence how we care for our patients here at Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, as well as the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital and at the health system level."

Altaf Stationwala, President and CEO, Mackenzie Health

"The launch of the new electronic medical record is one of the largest transformational projects in Mackenzie Health's history and puts us at the forefront of care delivery. Over the past two years, our staff, physicians and volunteers have been working together as a team to ensure this journey is a success, and we are proud to be the first hospital in Canada to implement the end-to-end Epic system."

Dr. Steven Jackson, Chief of Staff, Mackenzie Health

"As Epic's first enterprise community member in Canada, Mackenzie Health continues their commitment to delivering high quality, compassionate and timely care with this milestone. Through these new tools and resources, Mackenzie Health can now expand their ability to provide patient-centered and community-based medicine for York Region and beyond. We look forward to a long and successful relationship as we work toward our shared goal of helping people get well, helping people stay well, and helping future generations be healthier."

Judy Faulkner, CEO, Epic

Quick Facts at a Glance:

Electronic Medical Record Implementation

The journey to the new EMR was a two-year process that involved significant software build, consultation with Mackenzie Health staff and physicians, testing and education.
Two weeks prior to the launch, over 100 Mackenzie Health staff transitioned over 15,000 scheduled appointments, including for X-Rays, MRIs and other medical imaging tests, dialysis and cardio-vascular rehabilitation, into the new Epic EMR.
Over 1,500 scheduled surgeries and ambulatory procedures were also converted from the legacy system to the new Epic EMR. More than 50 trained secretaries from physicians' offices spent over four days to converting the appointments. With this transition, physician offices can now manage their provincial wait times and their procedure schedules in one place.
In preparation for the EMR launch, a multidisciplinary team involving registration, nursing, pharmacists and more made sure all admitted patients were captured within Epic on July 7. This enabled the team to continue to provide the best care once the new EMR was launched on July 8. The process involved more than 70 people working together for over 20 hours.
To ensure staff, physicians and volunteers are well supported during the transition, a technical Command Centre staffed by approximately 90 staff members and an Operations Support Centre that oversaw clinical operations and coordinated the 265 additional support staff deployed across the organization, all working 24/7, have been instrumental for the go-live.

For more information, please visit www.mackenziehealth.ca/emr.

Mackenzie Health

Mackenzie Health is a dynamic regional health care provider which includes the existing Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital and the future Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, as well as a comprehensive network of community-based services.
In March 2017, the organization received its second consecutive award of Accreditation with Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada for its commitment to safety and quality patient care. This is the highest rating a Canadian health care provider can receive and we are proud to have earned this mark of excellence once again.
Guided by a vision to create a world-class health experience, Mackenzie Health has an unrelenting focus on the patient and is dedicated to patient needs now and in the future.
With over 500,000 residents in Southwest York Region, Mackenzie Health is proud to serve one of the fastest growing and most diverse communities in Canada.
The groundbreaking for the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital was held on October 25, 2016.

For more information, please visit www.mackenziehealth.ca.

Epic

In January, Epic was named the #1 Overall Software Suite in the 2017 Best in KLAS: Software and Services report, for the seventh consecutive year. KLAS is an independent company that surveys users to help hospitals make informed decisions.
Over 187 million Americans, close to 58% of the population, are covered by Epic.
Learn more about the Epic community: http://www.epic.com/community
Epic currently exchanges 1.6 million records per day. Nobody exchanges more charts for care transitions than Epic users. More info on Epic interoperability: http://www.epic.com/software#Interoperability

SOURCE Mackenzie Health

Canada's only Hockey Camp for Children with Diabetes Kicks Off

TORONTO, July 18, 2017 /CNW/ - The Dskate Hockey Program kicks off their Hockey Camp program in Milton, Ontario on Monday, July 24, 2017 – a hockey program dedicated to young players living with diabetes. The goal of the program is to help young athletes achieve a greater quality-of-life, while discovering their limitless potential to succeed. Each year, the camp offers professional hockey skills training for children with diabetes, along with diabetes management education with a goal to develop empowered and excited kids, taking care of their own diabetes that feel like they are not so different from everyone else.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

Dr. Michael Riddell, Senior Scientist at LMC Diabetes & Endocrinology and Professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science and the Muscle Health Research Centre at York University.
Dessi Zaharieva, PhD candidate in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science and the Muscle Health Research Centre at York University.
DSkate program participants (both children and their parents) will also be available for interviews.
Cory Conacher, NHL Hockey Player living with Type 1 diabetes will be at the camp Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.

WHEN:	Monday, July 24, 2017
	Opening Ceremonies at 8:30 a.m.
	Interviews are available between 9:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

WHERE:	Milton Sports Centre
	605 Santa Maria Blvd.
	Milton, Ontario \| L9T 6J5

ABOUT DSKATE:
DSkate is a unique hockey program offering a hockey + diabetes sports education program which brings together elite-level professionals and individuals living with diabetes. The program unites the various components involved in diabetes management to support exercise and nutritional programming for increased activity and improved quality of life.

Ascensia Diabetes Care and Medtronic are the education sponsors.

Related Links: www.dskatehockey.com

SOURCE DSkate

Mannatech Brings Highest Grade Aloe Product in the World to Canada

June 29, 2017 10:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time

MARKHAM, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mannatech^®, Incorporated (NASDAQ: MTEX), a global health and wellness company committed to transforming lives to make a better world, recently launched its most legendary ingredient, Manapol^® powder, to its Canadian market. Manapol is the highest quality aloe vera gel extract in the world.

“Manapol is our core technology at Mannatech and something that the Canadian market has been especially passionate about and supportive of for years. I know they can’t wait to share the world’s highest quality aloe vera product with everyone around them.”

Manapol powder is a pure, premium, 100 percent aloe vera gel extract that is abundant in acetylated, mannose-rich polysaccharides, or acemannans. The acemannans in Manapol powder have a guaranteed molecular weight of more than one million Daltons¹, testing the highest of any other aloe gel extract. As the most cutting-edge Glyconutritional product available, Manapol powder supports cellular communication and may provide gastrointestinal benefits.

“We’ve reached an exciting milestone by providing our most potent ingredient as a stand-alone product to our Canadian market,” said Mannatech’s Regional President of EMEAA and the Americas, Christopher Simons. “Manapol is our core technology at Mannatech and something that the Canadian market has been especially passionate about and supportive of for years. I know they can’t wait to share the world’s highest quality aloe vera product with everyone around them.”

For more than 20 years, Manapol powder has been an essential ingredient in other Mannatech products. Mannatech’s Advanced Ambrotose^® product and Ambrotose^® complex are among the company’s top-selling products containing the aloe gel extract, and are known for their immune and gastrointestinal benefits. Recently Mannatech announced it has secured its continuing source of premium Manapol powder with an exclusive deal with Natural Aloe Costa Rica. With this agreement, Mannatech provides its customers with transparency about where exactly the aloe in its products comes from.

To begin changing your life and the lives of those around you, please visit Mannatech.com.

About Mannatech

Mannatech, Incorporated, offers a profound wellness experience that makes a difference in the lives of people across the world. Through its innovative Glyconutrition products, Mannatech changes lives, providing an unprecedented level of natural wellness, freedom and purpose. With more than 20 years of experience and operations in 26 markets^, Mannatech is committed to changing lives. For more information, visit Mannatech.com.

Read more about Mannatech’s forward-looking statements.

Experiences reflect unique DNA of Ontario travel destinations

Stratford, Bayfield and Elora & Fergus think outside the box to engage visitors

STRATFORD, Ont. (June 23, 2017) – Picture rappelling down a sheer rock wall to get to your table for a delicious dinner served on a beach beside a gorgeous winding river.

How about taking in a one-of-a-kind concert from world-class musicians playing a bell about the size of a transport truck that replicates the sound of a carillon?

Or maybe you’re the artsy type and want to get inspired by a stunning landscape — how about painting a sunset from a breathtaking perch on a bluff overlooking Lake Huron?

These are just a few of the incredible experiences visitors can enjoy this summer while exploring the tourism hotspot of southwestern Ontario, whether it’s on a day-trip from the Greater Toronto Area or a longer family vacation.

The communities of Stratford, Bayfield and Elora & Fergus have joined with the region’s tourism organization — RTO4 — as well as their local tourism partners to develop more than two dozen new activities designed to engage travellers and highlight the special qualities and attractions that make each of the three destinations unique.

“Today’s visitors are seeking out unique experiences that they want to share – often in real-time – with friends and family,” says David Peacock, RTO4 Chief Executive Officer. “The new experiences supported by the animation fund highlight each community’s unique assets and invite the visitor to participate in telling the story.”

Stratford, picturesque home to the world-renowned Stratford Festival, is hosting 15 new events and activities that capture its growing reputation as a cultural resort town. A small sample of the experiences include:

The Stratford Summer Music Carillon, organized by Stratford Summer Music. World-class carillon performers will play 14 free concerts from Aug. 5-13 on a massive musical bell.

Ladies of the CNR, a full-length play presented by the Stratford Perth Museum and Martingale Vintage. The play will be performed at city hall from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, featuring an interactive photobooth and newly curated CN exhibit.

Food for Thought Festival, hosted in collaboration by the Stratford Chefs’ School and the Stratford Writers Festival, Oct. 27-29. The festival creates literary and culinary experiences where food is matched to an author’s readings. There will also be workshops, such as how to write a cookbook and the art of food photography.

About an hour’s drive from the GTA, tourism operators in Elora & Fergus have created several experiences to celebrate the town’s heritage and idyllic natural setting. Among them are:

River is Calling, an experience hosted by the Elora Centre for the Arts that celebrates the natural beauty of the Grand River through two exhibits during June, July and August, a paddle painting workshop and will end with a collaboration with Riverfest which will see Brad Coppingcarry his mosaic canoe to the Grand River where he will paddle it, take it out of the water and suspend it above the Riverfest stage for an evening concert on Aug. 19.

Twilight at Templin Gardens, a free musical event at the historical Templin Gardens on Wednesday evenings through July and August, featuring a live musical performance with local artists performing and storytelling about their lives in Elora and Fergus. The finale of the evening will be a Piper piping down the sun on the candle lit Templin Garden Stairs built in 1920.

Festival Faire, a free family-friendly event to be held on July 8. The new event celebrates Canada's 150th anniversary, showcasing Elora and Fergus’ festivals and events, natural beauty, rich heritage, rural foundations, artists, artisans, entertainers, merchants, and local food and drink.

On the sandy shores of Lake Huron, about an hour’s drive of Stratford, visitors can discover the beautiful beach town of Bayfield. Several new activities developed this summer showcase the trendy town’s artistic side, as well as its incredible waterfront setting and marine heritage. Among them are:

Paint the Sunset, a way to celebrate the creativity of Bayfield, as well as its world-class sunsets, this experience will offer five activations throughout the summer providing the supplies and instructions for people to paint their own sunset keepsake. Four of the events will be painting on panels or rocks, and the fifth will be edible cookie painting.

Try #SUPRUNYOGA, a unique one-day event focusing on trying new activities, connecting to nature and growing a sense of a connected shoreline community. This event will also include local food vendors, product market and an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest stand-up paddleboard yoga session.

Projects in all three communities were developed through RTO4’s Destination Animation Fund. The initiative offers business operators matching funds to create new or enhanced tourism offerings that showcase the destination’s agreed-upon core DNA. Visitors are encouraged to share their experiences through social networks.

The initiative was first launched in 2016, providing $30,000 in matching funds for 10 projects in Stratford. Based on the success of its inaugural run, RTO4 and its tourism partners doubled the size of the fund to $60,000 in 2017 and expanded it to more communities to create experiences that reach an even wider audience. More information is available at www.animationfund.ca

About RTO4:

RTO4, one of 13 regional tourism offices established by the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport in the province of Ontario, provides leadership and support to a flourishing tourism economy in Huron, Perth, Waterloo and Wellington. RTO4 has been called the “petri dish of tourism development in North America” by the Canadian Tourism Commission, specifically because of its innovative, analytical and non-traditional approach to growing tourism and economic development.

Common water treatments could damage DNA

Scientists are warning that a water treatment widely used in developing countries could be damaging the DNA of those drinking it.

Despite poor evidence of their effectiveness as a water disinfectant, colloidal silver and silver nanoparticles are increasingly being promoted for treating potentially contaminated drinking water in low income countries.

A study led by the University of East Anglia has concluded that there is a risk these treatments could in fact cause genotoxicity, which is damage to DNA, and affect reproduction and future generations.

Prof Paul Hunter from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said the study brings together existing research to highlight the potential risks. “Colloidal silver as a water treatment is sold across Africa and in countries like Haiti, despite the fact it doesn’t treat water very effectively. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises against its use as a primary water treatment. If it isn’t doing any good, we wanted to investigate if in fact it could be causing harm.”

The research looked at previous studies where the effects of silver, silver nitrate and silver nanoparticles have been measured ‘in vivo’ – on living animals.

They found that, although results varied, more studies than they expected showed some evidence of genotoxicity, reporting effects including chromosomal aberrations, DNA fragmentation and damage to sperm.

Prof Hunter said: “We already know that there is little evidence that silver in water has any benefit. But this study brings together a body of work which shows it is potentially damaging DNA, and harming reproductive success.”

Colloidal silver is also widely marketed as an alternative health substance which can treat everything from skin complaints to bacterial and viral infections, cancer and AIDS. Again, little research exists to show any beneficial effects, but there are known side effects. One of the more obvious signs of over-exposure to silver is argyria, where the skin and hair turns a blue-grey colour.

WHO guidelines for drinking water quality don’t currently include a value for silver in water, but indicate that a concentration of 0.1 milligrams per litre could be tolerated without risk to health. However, this was determined as a level unlikely to cause argyria, and didn’t take into account potential damage to DNA.

Prof Hunter said: “While none of the previous studies alone are definitive, and we can’t use them to determine a safe level of consumption from this review, we consider that the balance of evidence suggests there is the chance of damage to DNA.

“There is an urgent need for more research on this area to determine if people drinking water treated with silver have evidence of DNA damage.”

Dr. Spaner at Sunnybrook Research Institute receives prestigious UFCW Canada Award for Leukemia Research

TORONTO, June 16, 2017 /CNW/ - The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada together with its largest philanthropic partner, UFCW Canada (United Food and Commercial Workers Canada union), are proud to announce that Dr. David Spaner, MD, PhD, FRCP is the 2017 recipient of the UFCW Canada Award for Leukemia Research.

LLSC (CNW Group/The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada)

Dr. Spaner is a clinician-scientist at the Odette Cancer Center at Sunnybrook Hospital and associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto. He is renowned for his work in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and the goal of his research laboratory is to understand the biology of this cancer and develop better treatments for it. The award, which is tied to a $ 200,000 research grant, celebrates progressive and groundbreaking research in the field of blood cancers.

CLL is the most common adult leukemia in Canada affecting approximately 9,000 people. Dr. Spaner's research project, which spans 2 years, aims to study the best way to block the effects of cytokines (proteins which keep the cancer cells alive) in CLL patients who are being treated with Ibrutinib.

"We are honoured to present this award to Dr. Spaner today at our national Leukemia Gala," says UFCW Canada National President Paul Meinema. "UFCW Canada, and UFCW Canada Local Unions and members are passionate about leukemia research because we know these efforts have made such a difference in finding better therapies, and in raising public awareness that this is a battle that can be won – and is being won, thanks to people like Dr. Spaner."

Over the past three decades, the UFCW Canada family has raised over $36 million to support the
life-changing and life-saving efforts of the LLSC. Combining all efforts big and small across Canada, the UFCW Canada family continues to lead as the largest annual source of donations to the LLSC.

"We are delighted with the CLL research and clinical work that Dr. Spaner and Sunnybrook are undertaking to improve the quality of life for this largest group of blood cancer patients," says Shelagh Tippet-Fagyas, President of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. "The grant will support improving the efficacy of Ibrutinib as a treatment, and potentially other leukemia treatments."

About the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada is the single largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancers In Canada. LLSC funds life-saving blood cancer research across the country, and provides free information and support services to patients and caregivers. Our mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. To find out more visit llscanada.org.

About UFCW Canada (United Food and Commercial Workers Canada union)

UFCW Canada is Canada's leading and most progressive private-sector union, representing more than a quarter of a million workers in Canada's fastest growing industries including the food, retail, hospitality, health care, security, industrial, and office and professional sectors. UFCW Canada is the country's most innovative organization dedicated to building fairness in workplaces and communities. Since adopting it as its charity of choice in 1987, the UFCW Canada family has raised over $36 million in support of the LLSC. To find out more about UFCW Canada and its innovative work, please visit www.ufcw.ca.

UFCW (CNW Group/The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada)

SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada