An historic
commitment

• Offer more timely and complete diagnoses.
• Target recurrent or refractory cancers.
• Prevent cancers linked to genetic predispositions.
• Identify personalized and less invasive treatments.
• Screen for toxic effects associated with therapies.

• Test treatments on living tumours in a laboratory.
• Implement a new clinical care trajectory for medulloblastomas.
• Maintain living tumours after surgery to test how they respond to various medications.
• Identify the most promising molecules based on the unique profile of each patient.
• Improve the quality of life of survivors.

Problems targeted under the pilot project on medulloblastoma:

• Medulloblastomas are the most common brain tumours among children.
• 30 to 40% of children with a medulloblastoma do not survive for more than five years, and those who do may experience long-term side-effects.

• Mobilize the immune system against complex tumours.
• Acquire a more in-depth understanding of the biological mechanisms at work in tumours.
• Identify innovative potential solutions in immunotherapy.
• Offer personalized alternatives to children whose options are limited.

Problem targeted by the multi-omic study on the immune environment of paediatric tumours:

• Certain cancers cannot be cured using standard therapies.

• Integrate the study of proteins to refine diagnoses.
• Pair proteomics with genomic profiling for greater precision.
• Better guide therapeutic decision-making.
• Structure a strong provincial expertise in personalized medicine.

• Secure and optimize treatments administered at home.
• Help families with care management outside of the hospital.
• Strengthen adherence to treatment among young patients and teens.
• Improve prognoses and overall quality of life.

Problems targeted under the support program and oral chemotherapies:

• Long and difficult treatment: acute lymphoblastic leukemia entails multiple hospitalizations and medical appointments along with major disruptions to everyday life.
• Critical adherence: Low adherence to oral treatments increases the risk of recurrence. The adverse effects associated with treatment complicate follow-up (immunosuppression, sleep disorders, weight gain, irritability, sadness).
• Impact on quality of life: In addition to side-effects, oral chemotherapies come with precautions, including isolation at school for about one year.
• Lack of adapted support: Few interventions have been developed specifically to support families with care management at home.

• Prevent vascular complications associated with treatments.
• Understand the develolpment of blood clots (thromboembolism).
• Identify high-risk patients at the outset of the care trajectory.
• Avoid serious complications and improve the comfort of patients.

Problems targeted under the research project on thromboembolism among children with cancer:

• About 10% of children develop a thromboembolism, which increases the risk of death by two to four times and leads to numerous long-term complications, including pulmonary hypertension and problems linked to catheters.