PROFYLE

Improving the outcomes of young people with cancer, one child at a time

When a family is told their child has cancer, their world falls apart. Learning that the current five-year survival rate is 80 per cent provides some comfort; however, the fear and anxiety of being one of the 20 per cent is devastating.

The amazing oncology team at the IWK knows that despite all the advances that have been made, some of their patients will not survive. The IWK Foundation, through the incredible support of donors, is committed to being part of the generation that does everything it can to bring the survival rate to as close to 100 per cent as is possible. That’s why we’re very proud to support PROFYLE.

What is PROFYLE?

PROFYLE (short for PRecision Oncology For Young peopLE) is an initiative for the children and young adults who are told they are out of treatment options and who have a survival rate of less than 30 per cent over five years.

PROFYLE brings together children's hospitals, research centres, top scientists and clinicians across Canada, to work together to create a molecular profile for the tumours of young cancer patients.

This type of molecular profiling looks at an individual's cancer tumour, specifically studying its genetic characteristics and any unique biomarkers. This information is gathered and used to identify the specific genetic changes in the patient's cancer. With this information, clinicians can use specific treatments that take into account the individual's specific cancer profile at a molecular level.

IWK Health is one of 16 centres in Canada that participate in PROFYLE and has enrolled over 40 patients in the program so far.

To learn more about PROFYLE, please visit www.accessforkidscancer.ca.