With an estimated 139,900 new cases of cancer reported in Canada in 2003, early detection is a critical factor in treating patients and increasing the rate of survival. A new University of Alberta-led project will provide health practitioners with faster, more accurate diagnoses that will facilitate prompt medical intervention and, ultimately, save lives.

The Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on behalf of Stephen Owen, Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister of State (Sport), today announced a $2.5 million investment that will develop a handheld diagnostic tool that can identify four types of cancer within minutes.

"Cancer has become all too pervasive in our lives. Over 5,000 people died from the disease last year in Alberta alone," said Minister McLellan. "The Alberta Cancer Diagnostic Consortium demonstrates that by working together, critical advances in the treatment of cancer are possible. The handheld cancer tool will result in quick detection, saving time, money and lives."

Engineers, geneticists, physicians and medical researchers are pooling their leading-edge discoveries in micro/nanotechnology and medicine to produce a miniaturized diagnostic device for cancer. The handheld device will use microfluidics chips (glass or plastic chips that are embedded with micron-width channels in which fluids thousands of times smaller than a droplet can travel ) to detect four types of cancer: multiple myeloma, follicular lymphoma, colorectal cancer and pre-screening for susceptibility to breast cancer. Their research has already demonstrated significant practical and commercial potential.

Patients will soon be able to walk into their doctor's office, give a few drops of blood and get a diagnosis within minutes. These quick test results not only gain precious time for patient treatment, but also offer significant savings, as testing can be done at a fraction of the cost of current methods.

"The new device will have the potential to quickly determine the genetic properties of a specific cancer right in the doctor's office. This means that treatment can be tailored to most effectively target specific characteristics of the disease for each patient. It also means that as the cancer changes over time, these changes can be identified and the therapy quickly adapted to target more aggressive cancer cells," said Dr. Pilarski, scientific director for the consortium. "We hope this will lead to customized, more effective treatment options for cancer patients."

The Alberta Cancer Diagnostic Consortium is a unique collaboration between the universities of Alberta and Calgary and the Alberta Cancer Board, all of which are providing key researchers and support.

WD is a catalyst for the advancement of new technologies in Western Canada. Projects such as the handheld cancer diagnostic tool lead to the commercialization of groundbreaking ideas and create new jobs in innovative industries.

Federal funding for this project was provided for in the March 2004 federal budget.

For additional information, contact:

Barb Steele
Communications Officer
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Edmonton, Alberta
(780) 495-4982

Dr. Linda Pilarski
Professor, Department of Oncology
University of Alberta and
Cross Cancer Institute
Edmonton, Alberta
(780) 432-8925
 
Renée Gillen
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Western Economic Diversification
(613) 954-1110