Canadian Cancer Centre Response to COVID-19 Pandemic: A National and Provincial Response.

Background: COVID-19 has spread rapidly, requiring health delivery systems to undertake dramatic transformations. To evaluate these system changes, we undertook one of the first Canadian health delivery system reviews and the first Canadian cancer centre evaluation of pandemic system modifications.

Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to the Canadian Association of Provincial Cancer Agencies (CAPCA) members in order to assess changes to cancer centre services and patient management.

Differential role of estrogen receptor beta in early versus metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

Although women have an increased susceptibility to lung cancer, they also have a favorable clinical outcome. This may in part be due to female specific genetic and hormonal factors. In the present study, expression of ER-beta was investigated by immunohistochemistry using tissue samples from two cohorts: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosed in 1999 in Manitoba and advanced NSCLC patients from the NCIC-CTG BR.

Analysis of wait times and costs during the peri-diagnostic period for non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: To determine the wait times and healthcare costs around the time of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis for a large, population-based cohort of patients.

Methods: Data on baseline demographics, diagnostic and staging tests, timelines of investigations, and frequency of physician visits and hospital admissions were obtained from a provincial cancer registry and health administrative databases for 2852 patients, who were diagnosed with NSCLC from 1996 to 2000 in Manitoba, Canada. Dates between investigations were used to determine wait times surrounding diagnosis and fee codes for physician and hospital services were used to estimate costs.

Population-based patterns and cost of management of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after completion of chemotherapy until death.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the patterns and costs of management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after completion of chemotherapy until death in a population of patients in Manitoba, Canada.

Patients And Methods: Stage IIIB and IV NSCLC patients diagnosed between January 1997 and June 2000 who received chemotherapy as the primary treatment, completed their chemotherapy and survived for at least 28 days since their last treatment, and were on best supportive care (BSC) were selected. Treatment, services received, costs, and survival were determined by chart review and examining various databases including the Manitoba Cancer Registry, medical claims, hospitalizations, and prescription drugs.

Targeting the EGFR pathway for cancer therapy.

Clinical studies have shown that HER-2/Neu is over-expressed in up to one-third of patients with a variety of cancers, including B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), breast cancer and lung cancer, and that these patients are frequently resistant to conventional chemo-therapies. Additionally, in most patients with multiple myeloma, the malignant cells over-express a number of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR)s and their ligands, HB-EGF and amphiregulin, thus this growth-factor family may be an important aspect in the patho-biology of this disease. These and other, related findings have provided the rationale for the targeting of the components of the EGFR signaling pathways for cancer therapy.