Sunnybrook to build state-of-the-art prostate centre

TORONTO, May 27, 2016 /CNW/ - One in eight Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and of those, an estimated 30 percent will pass it to their children. To further innovations that can save men's lives and the way they live them, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is creating the Soham & Shaila Ajmera Family Prostate Centre.

The Soham & Shaila Ajmera Family Prostate Centre will be the foremost of its kind in Canada. Here, leading experts in prostate cancer care will conduct groundbreaking research, diagnose cancer rapidly and perform precision treatments that will change the future for men with prostate cancer.

Research is ingrained into clinical care at Sunnybrook, giving researchers keen insight into where innovation is most needed in prostate cancer care. The Soham & Shaila Ajmera Family Prostate Centre will be a catalyst for prostate cancer discoveries, continuously pushing the limits of diagnostics and treatment so that more men can be cured without life-changing side-effects.

Our prostate cancer diagnostic experts are leading the development of image-guided diagnosis to determine if a man has prostate cancer and if it is aggressive.

Sunnybrook offers the widest range of prostate cancer treatments in Canada, many of which are minimally invasive, image-guided therapies that spare men from life-altering complications, such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Our prostate cancer surgeons use precise, nerve-sparing surgical techniques to remove the cancer. This approach increases the likelihood that a man's sexual health will be maintained.  

The Soham & Shaila Ajmera Family Prostate Centre will be made possible by the exceptional generosity of the Ajmera family, along with further investment from the community. A lead corporate commitment to the centre by BMO Financial Group, as well as support from Sanofi Canada , illustrates the momentum growing behind the initiative.

"Philanthropic investment from the community is essential to the success of our prostate centre," says Dr. Barry McLellan, president and CEO of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. "We are deeply grateful to our donors. Their visionary support is helping Sunnybrook invent the future of prostate cancer care and it is changing outcomes for men with prostate cancer and their families."

About Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care for the 1.2 million patients the hospital cares for each year through the dedication of its more than 13,000 staff, students and volunteers. An internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada's premier academic health sciences centres. Sunnybrook specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically-ill newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation and treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries. The Hospital also has a unique and national leading program for the care of Canada's war veterans. For more information about how Sunnybrook is inventing the future of health care please visit us online at www.sunnybrook.ca.

For more information, visit:
www.sunnybrook.ca/prostate  

SOURCE Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

For further information: For media enquiries, contact: Alexis Dobranowski, Communications & Stakeholders Relations, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, [phone]