"A personal experience with cancer changed me at a fundamental level, so I changed careers and got involved with cancer charities and research."
– Peter
“Cancer changed my life, but cancer research saved it. "
– Kathy
“When I was diagnosed with APL in 2017, I was told that I had won the lottery. But it wasn’t luck that dramatically changed my prognosis. It was cancer research.”
– Gary
"Somebody researched how to treat a genetic mutation that only affects a fraction of adenocarcinoma patients, and changed my life."
– Rakhi
Cancer research is personal
Every day, the breakthroughs made by cancer researchers transform people’s lives for the better. Cancer research helps patients live longer, helps families stay together, and helps scientists make a difference.
As Ontario’s cancer research institute, OICR unites a community of scientists, cancer patients, clinicians and everyday Ontarians. Cancer Research Changed My Life shines a spotlight on that community and what we have achieved together.
All year long, we’ll be publishing videos and first-person testimonials that demonstrate the life-changing power of cancer research. We’re also inviting you to share your story about cancer research on social media using the hashtag #ChangedMyLife
Peter’s story
Cancer research has changed my life in very fundamental ways over the last 30-plus years….
Kathy’s story
Cancer changed my life, but cancer research saved it. Following a two-year suspicion-to-decision interval, I…
Gary’s story
The survival rate for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in the 1990s was about 10 per…
20 years of changing lives
Since 2005, OICR been transforming scientific innovations into life-changing solutions.
Our work is made possible by support from the Government of Ontario, and by a vast network of researchers and collaborators across the province and around the world.
To learn more about what OICR has achieved as Ontario’s cancer research institute, please visit our website.
“We’ve come so far and touched so many lives over the past two decades, and we’re on the cusp of unlocking new discoveries that will change lives for generations to come.”
Christine Williams, Acting President
Lincoln Stein, Acting Scientific Director