Princess Margaret Global Cancer Program

Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz, senior advisor to the Global Cancer Program (GCP), and Prof. Felician Knaul, a health economist from the University of Miami and member of GCP's International Advisory, are two of the co-chairs on a new Lancet Commission on Cancer and Health Systems. The Commission was launched in August 2021 and brings together international experts from oncology, public health, economists, NGOs, and government organizations. The Commission will identify pathways that improve access to technology and innovations that support better and more equitable cancer control, spanning prevention to palliation, while strengthening health systems to be more prepared for other health challenges, including future pandemics. The Commission's report is expected in 2023.

Established to mobilize the calls to action in the Lancet Oncology’s Commission on Radiotherapy, GIRO’s mission is to reduce inequalities and ensure universal access to radiotherapy. As a founding member of GIRO, the Princess Margaret supports the organization’s initiatives such as a study on international patterns of care in radiation oncology.

An organization of the United Nations, the IAEA works with its member states and multiple partners to promote the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technologies. Through its Division in Human Health, the organization is also active in the establishment and support of radiotherapy services in LMICs. The Princess Margaret has participated in many IAEA lead initiatives including radiotherapy capacity building through teaching and training.

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) is a non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, which leads our international community in convening, capacity building, and advocacy initiatives to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and ensure that cancer control continues to be a priority in the world health and development agenda. Princess Margaret Cancer Centre has had a long and rich history of engagement with the UICC and has included scientific contributions and global leadership. This includes leadership in the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors (TNM) as a globally recognized standard for classifying the extent of spread of cancer, a project for which Princess Margaret oncologists Mary Gospodarowicz and Jim Brierley are the current co-chairs. Dr. Gospodarowicz also served as the President of the UICC from 2012-2014 and Dr. Danielle Rodin currently sits on its Board of Directors.

Led by Dr. Fei-Fei Liu, the Princess Margaret’s Radiation Medicine team partnered with Elekta China, a global leader in precision radiation medicine equipment and technology to enhance delivery of radiation therapy in China. The initial project term provided RMP training and introduced quality assurance processes to Chinese institutions and medical facilities. As a complement to on-site training, selected participants were provided the opportunity to access RMP’s Accelerated Education Program. This collaboration allowed Elekta China and its affiliates to partner with North America’s leading radiation program while enriching its training catalogue and ultimately enhancing patient care in China.

From 2015 to 2018, the Princess Margaret partnered with Qatar’s national public health provider to implement am oncology subspecialty model of care at its National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR). Over a three year period Princess Margaret staff conducted numerous site visits to the NCCCR to support this transition, as well as provide tailored sub-specialty training and education to its staff. This work was complemented by hosting over 70 medical professionals from the NCCCR in Toronto for educational placements in their area of practice. As a result of this collaboration, the NCCCR now boasts several Oncology and Pathology subspecialty practice models and saw a reduction in length of stay in select inpatient units. The leads for this project were Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz and Marnie Escaf.

From 2018-2019 the Princess Margaret partnered with KPMG to advise the Bahamian Government on their planned expansion of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Program. Teams from Princess Margaret travelled to Nassau to define the clinical care pathways for the NHI and advise on their optimized payment and costing methodologies with the goal of ensuring affordability and sustainability for the health system in the Bahamas. In consultation with local physician groups, the Princess Margaret teams developed revised clinical guidelines, as well as provided a variety of disease site-specific workshops customized for the local environment.

In 2010 the Kuwait Ministry of Health selected UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as a world-leading partner to help provide people living in Kuwait with access to the highest level of cancer services. This five-year collaboration, with oversight by Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz and Marnie Escaf, saw over 200 UHN-PM staff members conduct site visits to the Kuwait Cancer Control Center (KCCC), advising on ways to optimize its clinical operations, infrastructure, and technological capabilities.

The project resulted in a number of ‘First in Kuwait’ initiatives, including the establishment of a Breast Rapid Diagnostic Clinic and the achievement of internationally recognized hospital accreditation. In addition, UHN-PM welcomed dozens of Kuwaiti medical professions to Toronto for supplemental clinical training, resulting in expanded patient care at the KCCC.