• Tell a friend about
• Create a page like this
• Please bookmark this page.

Maureen's heart was full, and her beautiful smile and perpetual cheeriness brought warmth and happiness to all of us. Despite an unforgiving cancer over two and a half years, Maureen never lost hope , remained very engaged in her own journey and insisted on exploring new therapies as her cancer metastasized when others would have capitulated to this insidious disease.

Alas, Maureen lost her battle. But not lost to the very last minute was her positive attitude and dignity. She is sorely missed.

What was clear during Maureen's journey is that we know very little about it. In order to change the outcome for future patients, Maureen’s family and friends have so far pledged over $500,000 to fund anal cancer research. Honouring Maureen was also the catalyst for the incredible efforts and fundraising by the Cancer Derailleurs powered by Harbour Air in the 2019 Ride to Conquer Cancer (now Tour de Cure), raising over $467,000 for this critical research.

Thanks to this incredible outpour of support, we have created a named fund in Maureen’s honour at BC Cancer Foundation that is fueling important work in this area.

We are committed to growing the Maureen Turner Research Fund Supporting Anal Cancer to keep driving the life-saving research taking place at BC Cancer. Thank you to everyone who has contributed, and we very much appreciate your continued support.

Anal Cancer: Using Genomics to Help Predict and Improve Response to Immune-Based Treatments

Anal cancer (anal squamous cell carcinoma) is a rare tumour, with between 80-110 patients diagnosed per year in British Columbia. It can be challenging to study because of its infrequent occurrence and difficulty attracting funds from industry and granting agencies.

While chemoradiation to localized anal cancers is curative for about 75% of patients, a portion see their cancer recur or develop metastases and there have not been significant advances in treatment options for these patients in decades.

However, there is now hope in the form of immunotherapy. A recent trial of an immunotherapy drug in the United States saw 23% of metastatic anal cancer patients respond, with their tumours either shrinking or disappearing. But further investigation is needed to determine why some patients respond while others do not.

BC Cancer Medical Oncologist Dr. Jonathan Loree is seeking to improve the understanding of anal cancer biology and immune response in order to individualize treatment strategies and facilitate the development of new treatment options.

A pan-Canadian trial of an immunotherapy drug for anal cancer has begun to accrue patients, with nearly 15 participants to date. The goal of the trial is to offer immunotherapy after first-line treatment with the aim to prevent their cancer from recurring.

Once a total of 30 patients have been enlisted, Dr. Loree and his colleagues will study mutations, gene expressions and the interactions between the immune systems and cancel cells. They will study patients’ cancers prior to immunotherapy treatment and investigate any patients whose cancers recur in order to understand why treatment didn't work. Through this work, Dr. Loree hopes to identify new combinations of treatments and targetable pathways that could make immunotherapy effective for patients whose cancers do not respond to current treatments.

Your support of the Maureen Turner Research Fund Supporting Anal Cancer will allow Dr. Loree’s critical work to continue, to benefit anal cancer patients in B.C. and beyond.