As a donor, your generosity is vital for the increasing number of people facing cancer in our region. But, as incidences of cancer grow throughout our community, so will our response to the disease. Because of you, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation is able to understand what matters to people affected by cancer and to reach out to more families to ensure their needs are met through easy access to Cancer Coaching and innovative treatments.

This year, thousands of donors like you helped bring Cancer Coaching closer to home for more families, and this is now offered at locations in Kanata, Vanier and Clarence-Rockland. Your generosity also opened new clinical trials at Ottawa’s hospitals and facilitated breakthroughs in research for deadly cancers like glioblastoma and ovarian cancer. You helped increase referrals and collaboration between the network of cancer care services and resources in our community, ensuring those facing cancer have access to what THEY need.

At 36, Robert Rishikof was healthy and fit. Cancer was the furthest thing from his mind, until he started feeling itchy and became jaundiced.

“The tumour was in my bile duct. I needed 7.5 hours of surgery to remove it along with one third of my stomach, part of my pancreas, gall bladder and a portion of my small intestine,” recalls Robert. “The surgery was followed by chemotherapy.”

It was a difficult time in his young family’s life, but perhaps the hardest part for Robert was the period following the end of his treatment. A scan was inconclusive. He would have to wait three long months to see if the cancer was gone.

“I tried to be present with my family and not get overwhelmed but it was like walking a tightrope,” Robert admits. “I allowed myself an hour or two a day to feel down, then I pushed myself forward.”

There wasn’t much support when Robert had cancer 10 years ago. Fortunately, things are different today – patients and their caregivers have access to the Cancer Foundation’s Cancer Coaching Program, which has recently expanded into Vanier, Kanata and Clarence-Rockland.

Robert learned about Coaching around the time he was looking for a meaningful way to mark 10 years of being cancer free.

He set up a website to mark his ten year milestone through fundraising, with an ambitious goal of raising $10,000. His family kick-started the campaign with a bake sale at a neighbourhood garage sale.

“People were incredibly responsive. We raised $10,000 in six days,” Robert says. “Many people told me they know someone with cancer and they’re going to tell them about Cancer Coaching.”

Robert was delighted to hear that, as he personally understands the need for free, professional support. “It’s hard to find space for yourself when you’re sick. Your loved ones are dealing with your cancer as well. Cancer Coaching offers a place just for you. It unlocks space for you to breathe and gain confidence in the decisions you have to make.”

Today, Robert is challenging others to fundraise for the Cancer Foundation. “When cancer strikes, it has a huge impact. Cancer Coaching offers ways to support the person and the family. They use a personal approach where it isn’t about cancer, it’s about the people. And we all need to come together to support that.”

Clinical trials help save lives. Thanks to our generous donors, the Cancer Foundation is one of the only organizations funding local cancer clinical trials, ensuring this life-saving program is available to families in our community. Donor support has allowed the Cancer Foundation to support every cancer clinical trial that has opened in Ottawa in the last six years.

Cancer clinical trials are research studies where scientists take new therapies or new drug treatments or protocols – and apply those in the clinic today for patients who are battling cancer. They give doctors the opportunity to test out new drug therapies and new methods of treatment that are less invasive and have fewer side effects. Physicians follow patients throughout the trial to ensure the new treatment options are safe and effective. If the treatment or method is found to have a positive impact and meets the criteria, it eventually becomes standard of care for all cancer patients.

For cancer patients, a clinical trial may offer new hope for reducing the impacts of the disease, extend their lives by months or even years, or in some cases, see the disease disappear.

Here in Ottawa, we are fortunate to be developing a centre of excellence for clinical trials. This distinction gives local patients the opportunity to be part of the very latest treatment options. Your support funds clinical trials that are finding better ways to treat many different types of cancer, from the most common – such as breast, prostate and lung cancer – to glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer.

All cancer treatments and protocols that doctors are using today were at one point developed and tested in clinical trials.