Congratulations to Dr. Grace Johnston (Health Administration) and her co-principal investigator, Robin Urquhart (Cancer Care Nova Scotia) on receiving a $57,475 Breast Cancer Society of Canada/QEII Foundation Award for Breast Cancer Research, through the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute for their project “Supportive Care for Women with Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC-SC).” 

Over the next ten years, more than 3,000 women living with advanced breast cancer willl need supportive care.  Using a participatory action research process, the project will bring together a group of innovative, young researchers with experienced cancer researchers to communicate and collaborate on their research to improve supportive care for women with advanced breast cancer.  The impact of this research is expected to include: new insights and interventions by cancer patient navigators who screen for distress; a framework for guidelines for pain and other symptom control using medications; development of a study of physical activity; greater understanding  of factors that influence the likelihood of receving supportive cancer care including the impact of having diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease, living in a rural area, minority culture status, and socio-demographic factors; data to demonstrate the importance of listening to the views of next of kin; and an analysis of the type and extent of costs of supportive cancer care.

The team of co-investigators include Judith Fisher (Pharmacy), David Haardt (Health Administration), Janice Howes (Psychiatry), Melanie Keats (Health and Human Performance), Jennifer Payne (Diagnostic Radiology and Community Health and Epidemiology), Fred Burge (Family Medicine), Geoff Porter (Surger), Daniel Rayson (Medicine) and Tallal Younis (Medicine).