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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A pr i! 26 ,2 01 8 | NEWS SickKids doctor offers message of hope at Terry Fox Run Kick-Off Breakfast Funding needed for PRO FYLE research DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com The progress being made in the fight against childhood can­ cers and the importance of fund­ ing cancer research was made clear during the Oakville Terry Fox Run Kick-Off Breakfast on Thursday, April 12. Supporters o f the annual event, which was held at the Six­ teen M ile Sports Complex, heard from SickKids pediatric oncolo­ gist Dr. David Malkin, who talked about Precision Oncology For Young People, or PROFYLE. Malkin began his presenta­ tion by noting that currently about 81-82 per cent o f children diagnosed with cancer w ill re­ ceive treatment that sends their cancer into remission. He said these outcomes are radically different from those in Terry Fox's day when that statis­ tic was more like 50 per cent. Even so, Malkin says more can be done. "Eighty per cent is not good enough," he said. "As Terry would say, 'It's ei- ther 100 per cent or go home.'" A few years ago Malkin began examining the idea o f using new technologies to sequence the DNA of tumours in order to gain more information that could lead to the development o f treatment options that would specifically target an individual child's can­ cer. "The idea is rather than treat­ ing every person with a certain type o f cancer with the same cocktail and not really knowing, which person w ill respond and which one won't, we precisely tar­ get new drugs for each individual cancer," said Malkin. "We call that precision thera­ py-" Malkin needed $25 million to carry out research for this thera­ py dubbed PROFYLE. Through the help o f the Terry Fox Foundation, various pediat­ ric hospitals and other agencies he recently succeeded in raising $23.8 million, which is committed to this project over the next two years. Malkin said PROFYLE has brought together 75 cancer re­ searchers and clinicians from across the country who are now working with children and young people who have hard to treat cancers. Since PROFYLE was officially launched in November, 57 of these children have had their tu­ mours sequenced resulting in 40 per cent o f them being directed to treatment options doctors would not have thought of previously. "These children and young people now have a chance. Whether they w ill be cured by that drug we don't know, but they have a chance that didn't exist in November," said Malkin. "The idea is that with PRO- FYLE every child and young adult in the country w ill have this opportunity." Malkin concluded his re­ marks by talking about his pa­ tient Marlow, who was two years old when she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma cancer. Marlow received treatment for her cancer, but relapsed not long after this treatment was com­ plete. Local doctors told the young child's parents there were no oth­ er treatment options, however, her parents refused to accept this and took her to SickKids Hospital in Toronto. Malkin said that was six years • See LOCAL, page 28 Riziero Vertolli SickKids Pediatric Oncologist Dr. David Malkin speaks at Terry Fox Run kick-off breakfast. 0 > O A K V I L L E Public notice of pesticide use Gypsy m oth and cankerworm control Aerial spray program Based on population surveys conducted in 2017, Oakville faces extreme levels of gypsy moth and cankerworm infestation this year that could affect 110 hectares (272 acres) of town woodlands and result in a significant loss of trees if no action is taken. W hat is the tow n doing? This spring, the town w ill be conducting an aerial spray in select town woodlands with a safe and naturally occurring insecticide to control gypsy moth and cankerworm infestation. Spraying w ill not take place over town streets or residential properties. Two treatments w ill be performed by helicopter w ithin a few days of each other between 5 and 8 a.m., sometime between April 30 and June 15, weather permitting, most likely in mid-May once the gypsy moth caterpillars and cankerworms have emerged. Spray dates are highly dependent on weather conditions. Once dates are confirmed, they w ill be posted on oakville.ca and on the town's Facebook and Twitter accounts. A bou t Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) The aerial spray will use Foray 48B Biological Insecticide Aqueous Suspension, containing active ingredient Bacillus thuringiensis, subsp. Kurstaki (Btk) strain ABTS-351, (PCP#24977) underthe Pest Control Products oakviNe.ca Act (Canada). Btk is approved for use by Health Canada. Research shows that Btk used in aerial spray programs has no negative environmental or human health effects. Btk is a bacteria which occurs naturally in soil. The bacteria is poisonous only to a certain group of insects when ingested during their larvae stage. Btk does not affect adult moths or butterflies or other beneficial insects such as honeybees, or pets, birds, fish, or mammals. If you have questions or concerns related to the health impacts of aerial spraying with Btk, please call the Halton Region Health Department at 905-825-6000. W hat should I do? Public safety and the health of our environment are top priorities at the Town of Oakville. While there are no special precautions required for residents near the spray areas, we understand there might be some inconvenience on the mornings the aerial spray takes place and we appreciate your patience and cooperation. You can find more information and answers to frequently asked questions as well as tips on what you can do to protect your trees from gypsy moth and cankerworm at oakville.ca. For any further questions, please contact ServiceOakville at 905-845-6601 or serviceoakville@oakville.ca. mailto:dlea@metroland.com mailto:serviceoakville@oakville.ca