Conquering Cancer

Our Support for Cancer Research and Screening

The Bhalwani Family Charitable Foundation is deeply committed to fighting cancer, from helping the patient in need of screening to providing resources to research scientists working on new therapies and cures.

Like so many millions of people around the world whose lives have been affected by cancer, this cause is personal for us. Inherited cancers have touched our family and uprooted our lives. But from this turmoil, we’ve been able to see first-hand how important genetic testing can be in saving lives and improving outcomes.

This screening technology can make such a tremendous difference for at-risk people and populations. The only missing piece is the lack of access, and the Bhalwani Family Charitable Foundation is committed to addressing this.

By Focusing Resources, We Magnify the Benefits

We target our support for maximum impact. We also consult closely with scientists, doctors, business leaders and policy makers around the world who are working to bring the day of victory closer.

There are two keys to conquering cancer: finding cures in the laboratory, and broadening access to prevention strategies, screening and early treatment. Our work addresses both of these directly and concretely, and we’re always searching for more avenues of impact.

Life-Saving Screening

The Bhalwani Familial Cancer Clinic at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is focused on each aspect of this important mission, and our family has been proud to supply needed assistance to the Centre’s world-class doctors and scientists through our foundation.

As technology advances, screening tests are steadily becoming more precise. Genetic testing provides advance warning of current health risks or risks that may emerge at a later date as a result of an inherited risk gene.

Evaluating one’s family history is an important component of genetic testing. Some types of cancers are seen in many generations of the same family, and identifying these inherited risks is an essential and powerful weapon in fighting this disease.

The Centre’s work is making it possible for greater numbers of people with family histories of cancer to benefit from genetic testing, counseling and risk assessment services. To date, the Bhalwani Family Charitable Foundation has contributed $2.5 million to support these efforts.

Canada and Worldwide

Our initial focus is local – we want to make genetic screening tests more widely available in Toronto and Ontario. But we’re already using the lessons we’re learning to increase screening access and capacity in other parts of Canada and around the world. We’re dedicated to working toward the day when genetic testing is universal and routine.

We all have a stake in the fight against cancer, and many of us have a deeply personal interest in its outcome. The good news is that, together, we can win this struggle. And the exciting reality is that we can all be a part of creating an historical, world-changing scientific achievement.