Dr. Sri Navaratnam, president and CEO of CancerCare Manitoba; Dr. Amin Kabani, medical lead, provincial laboratory diagnostic services, Shared Health; and Annitta Stenning, president and CEO of CancerCare Manitoba Foundation. (HANDOUT)
WINNIPEG — CancerCare Manitoba has opened a new Genome Sequencing Lab to support targeted cancer therapy and genomic testing.
The new laboratory is capable of testing more than 30 genes simultaneously in multiple tumour types.
“Precision medicine is the new generation of cancer therapy. The new Genome Sequencing Laboratory will allow CancerCare Manitoba and Shared Health to use precision medicine to conduct genetic testing in Manitoba, which brings new treatment options and faster turnaround time for results,” said Dr. Sri Navaratnam, president and CEO of CancerCare Manitoba.
The lab, located with the CancerCare Manitoba facility, will also continue to provide testing for many genes that contribute to inherited cancers like hereditary breast cancer and Lynch syndrome.
“Genome sequencing can have a significant positive impact on outcomes for patients by informing more effective and predictable cancer treatment options,” said Dr. Amin Kabani, medical lead, provincial laboratory diagnostic services, Shared Health.
“This dedicated space will support our ability to meet the growing demand for a more personalized, gene-specific approach to medicine with quicker turnaround times for lab results that previously may have been sent out of province.”
Funding for the lab came from fundraising efforts by CancerCare Manitoba Foundation as well as contributions of Western Economic Diversification Canada, Genome Canada, and Genome Prairie.
