Board Member

BC Cancer Foundation

Kristine Steuart

‼️ Conventional mammograms save lives. However, if a woman has dense breasts - and this is 43% of women! - a conventional mammogram will detect cancer only about 65% of the time. This means that when cancer is found, it’s often at a later - and often devastating - stage. Early detection is key to saving lives.

💟 But there is a solution: a new technology called Contrast Enhanced Mammography (CEM) raises detection rates significantly, especially for women with dense breasts. CEM doubles cancer detection rates compared to conventional mammograms, and identifies 3x more tumors than ultrasounds.

✅ Co-leads on the BC Cancer Foundation board, Laurie Schultz and Kristine Steuart, are bringing together a group of amazing people committed to saving lives. $700,000 is needed to complete the purchase of the CEM, and any additional funds will go toward critical breast cancer research.

➡️ To learn more about the initiative, click on the images above or to the left! Thank you to everyone supporting this important effort. Contact kristinesteuart@gmail.com to learn more.

Conventional mammograms save lives; However, did you know that:

❌ 1. Detection challenges:  
Conventional mammograms don’t catch all cancers (because of the location of the cancer or the density of the breast tissue). 43% of women have dense breast tissue, and sensitivity of mammography drops from 85% to 65% in people with dense breasts. 

❌ 2. Capacity challenges: 
Current capacity does not allow for the rate of viewing that is desired to increase outcomes.

❌ 3. Research capacity challenges: 
We don’t have the capacity for more research. More data will help increase knowledge and innovation.

This means that still too many breast cancers are not caught early, reducing positive outcomes. 

✅ BC Cancer - in conjunction with their fundraising partner BC Cancer Foundation - has a plan and opportunity to improve outcomes for the population that it serves: to acquire a revolutionary technology, a Contract Enhanced Mammography machine (CEM); And to fund critical breast cancer research.

Philanthropy is needed to bring this technology in.

💡Co-Leads on the BC Cancer Foundation board - Laurie Schultz and Kristine Steuart - are bringing together a group of amazing people who want to help support saving lives. $700k is needed to complete the purchase of the CEM and additional funds above this will go towards critical breast cancer research. 

➡️ To learn more about the initiative > click on the images above/left! Thank-you to those supporting this initiative. 
📧Contact Us:
To learn more, and/or to participate, please contact: 
Laurie Schultz: laurie@picassoinc.com
Kristine Steuart: kristinesteuart@gmail.com 
Lindsay Abbot:  Lindsay.Abbott@bccancer.bc.ca

Initiative Overview ->

Read Full PDF Presentation

✅ We're thrilled to bring together a group of amazing people in B.C. who are coming together to help support saving lives: $700,000 is needed to complete the purchase of the CEM and any additional funds will go towards critical breast cancer research.  

✅ Participants to date (we'll keep updating this as people join): 
💟 $75k-100k+: Judi Hess (former CEO Copperleaf), Laurie Schultz (former CEO Galvanize) 
💟 $35k-$60k: Jack & Tonia Newton Family Fund (CEO/Founder of Clio), Kristine Steuart (former CEO Allocadia), Michelle & Greg Malpass (former Traction founders)
💟 $10k-$30k: Jennifer Reid (Co-CEO Rival Group), Greg & Dorry Smith (former CEO Equinox Gold), Maria Pacella (Managing Partner at Pender Ventures) alongside her donation match Paul Geyer (medtech entrepreneur, investor, and board leader). 

We are nearing $500k committed; We'd love for you to join us!!
And we are committed to sharing results back with the group.

The Story Behind this Initiative: 
Laurie & Kristine were asked to get involved with BC Cancer Foundation after the foundation identified they wanted to broaden their tech expertise and reach within the tech community. After both having experience with friends, family & colleagues going through cancer, including breast cancer; and from personal experiences (given higher-risk dense breast tissue), they spearheaded this initiative to bring the latest innovation to BC to make an impact on women’s lives. 

👩‍💼 Laurie Schultz - Former President & CEO, Galvanize & Board Director. Laurie has over 30 years of technology-related experience spanning the personal finance, small business accounting, enterprise resource planning, and governance, risk, and compliance industries. As CEO of Galvanize, she became Canada’s first female CEO to lead a technology company to unicorn status with its April 2021 sale to Diligent for US$1 billion. Under her leadership, Galvanize raised over $100M in debt and equity, solidified its position as a market leader, and was frequently recognized as one of Canada’s Top Employers and Best Managed Companies.  Laurie is currently a Board Director for Constellation Software, UserZoom, Riskalyze (Chair) and Boast.ai (Chair).

👩🏻‍💼 Kristine Steuart – Kristine is a technology entrepreneur. She is currently the Co-Founder of SIX, where they are redefining how businesses engage with their customers.  Previously, Kristine was the CEO and Co-Founder of Allocadia. In 2021 Kristine led the company to a successful transaction for its customers, shareholders, and team members; Her and her twin sister Co-Founder Katherine Berry hold the distinction of one of the largest exits by a female-only founded company. Kristine was named one of the “Top 10 Women in Tech to Watch” by inc. magazine, and one of B.C.’s top 35 most influential women in business. The Allocadia team earned numerous community engagement and company culture awards.

📧Contact Us:
To learn more, and/or to participate, please contact: 
Laurie Schultz: laurie@picassoinc.com
Kristine Steuart: kristinesteuart@gmail.com 
Lindsay Abbot:  Lindsay.Abbott@bccancer.bc.ca

Participants & Donate ->

‼️ Conventional mammograms save lives. However, if a woman has dense breasts - and this is 43% of women! - a conventional mammogram will detect cancer only about 65% of the time. This means that when cancer is found, it’s often at a later - and often devastating - stage. Early detection is key to saving lives.

💡But there is a solution: a new technology called Contrast Enhanced Mammography (CEM) raises detection rates significantly, especially for women with dense breasts. 

DETECTION
💟 Doubles cancer detection rates, especially for women with dense breast tissue (43% of women in B.C. have dense breasts), compared to conventional mammograms 
💟 Identifies 3x more tumors than ultrasounds and catches cancers before they spread  
💟 Better identifies smaller tumors compared to conventional mammography, often before the cancer has spread to lymph nodes 

CAPACITY
💟 Increases overall capacity for breast imaging services in B.C.  
💟 Expand access to alternative testing for high-risk women 
💟 Faster — reduces scan times from 45 minutes to just 10 minutes 

RESEARCH
💟 Data and findings from using this technology can be applied to future breast cancer research (a need to define how it can drive innovation & change)

➡️ Contact Lindsay.Abbott@bccancer.bc.ca to learn more.

CEM Detection Stats ->

The CEM Machine will be located at the Vancouver Center. 

ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY: 

➡️ A contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) machine works by combining a standard digital mammogram with an iodinated contrast dye injected intravenously. After the contrast is injected, the machine takes two images of the breast in quick succession using different X-ray energy levels (low and high). A computer then digitally combines these images to create a final image that highlights areas where the contrast has pooled, indicating areas of increased blood supply that may signal cancer.  
➡️ Tumors typically show up as white spots on mammograms, but dense breast tissue also appears white, obscuring the tumors.
➡️ When you have lots of white normal breast tissue, it’s hard to see the white cancers. But when you do the contrast, the cancers take up the iodine, and all you’re seeing is this cancer lighting up.
➡️ CEM finds more tumors and detects them when they are small and have not yet spread to the lymph nodes. Detecting cancers when they are smaller leads to better outcomes. 

How the CEM Works ->

FACTS: Breast Cancer in B.C.

🤕 1 in 8 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. 
🤕 Breast cancer is most common cancer among women in B.C.
🤕 Every year, more than 4,000 women in B.C. are diagnosed with the disease 
🤕 It represents 25% of new cancer cases among women
🤕 Breast cancer risk increases with age and research shows that 5-10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary 
🤕 Unfortunately, the fatality rate is 17%, or 1 in 6 women

EARLY DETECTION IS KEY:
💟 92% survival rate for people facing breast cancer diagnosed at an early stage. 

✅ BC Cancer has a plan and opportunity to improve outcomes for the population that it serves: to acquire a revolutionary technology, a Contract Enhanced Mammography machine (CEM), and fund critical breast cancer research. 

Breast Cancer Facts ->

Carmen's Story

Tina's Story

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

✅ Research dollars would go towards two research programs, focused on women: 

1️⃣ Funding a Breakthrough Discovery - Targeting G-Quadruplex DNA: BC Cancer researchers identified a shared weakness in BRCA-related breast cancers: G-quadruplex DNA. A new, world-first drug was discovered to kill cancer cells by targeting this DNA structure. In a groundbreaking clinical trial, led by BC Cancer’s Drs. Karen Gelmon and Sam Aparicio, tumours were genomically sequenced pre- and post-treatment, confirming success.

2️⃣ Funding a new research program Focusing on Younger Women with breast cancer: Younger patients face more aggressive cancers yet remain underrepresented in research. A new research program will explore why breast cancer behaves differently in younger women, using single-cell technology to personalize care and improve outcomes for patients. 

------
Led by the following Doctors: 

✅ DR. KAREN GELMON
Professor of Medicine, UBC, Medical Oncologist, BC Cancer. Listed as one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds. 
• In collaboration with the Canadian Clinical Trials Group, led a Phase I trial where tumours were genomically sequenced before and after exposure to the drug
•  This trial marks the first successful use of a dug targeting G-quadruplex DNA to eradicate cancer cells in a solid tumour.

✅ DR. SAM APARICIO
Distinguished Scientist, Department Head, Breast and Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer
• Recipient of the esteemed Canada Gairdner International Award 
• International collaborator at the University of Cambridge, alongside Dr. Shankar Balasubramanian
• Drs. Aparicio and Balasubramanian are currently collaborating to build on a groundbreaking discovery to treat chemotherapy-resistant breast cancers by targeting folded DNA in the genome
• Dr. Aparicio’s team has discovered over 10 unique subtypes of breast cancer, a landmark discovery that has been referenced over 5,000 times and utilized by more than 550 labs worldwide 

Breast Cancer Research ->

Breast Cancer Research Overview

CEM Breast Cancer Initiative

The Campaign to raise $3.5m for a new cyclotron in BC. July 2024 update: The campaign is now complete and the cyclotron is now purchased! This is a huge benefit to the BC community to increase cancer research capacity and deliver personalized treatment to cancer patients. 


The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds for BC Cancer to support world-leading scientists and clinicians across the province — as they advance global innovation and accelerate access for all British Columbians to cutting edge cancer care, close to home.

Going Beyond Belief
We are raising $500 million in the most ambitious and comprehensive health campaign ever in B.C. It’s called Beyond Belief because that’s where we’re going to go: beyond what anyone believed possible.

With more possible right now than in the history of cancer care, we are uniquely positioned to make an unprecedented impact.

As the largest philanthropic funder of cancer research and care in the province, our donors fuel hope for the 80,000 patients per year who depend on BC Cancer.

We are actively working with our donors and communities across B.C. to inspire investment in BC Cancer and our provincial teams of world-leading researchers, oncologists and care providers. 

Campaign Intro

Campaign Page

If you would like to be a part of contributing to the cyclotron purchase, please contact Lindsay Abbott at Lindsay.Abbott@bccancer.bc.ca. You can also donate directly to this project via the link above. Any size of donation makes a difference. 

Campaign is COMPLETE!

Project Donation Link

Construction is underway on a new state-of-the-art cyclotron and radiopharmacy laboratory in Vancouver that will increase access to PET/CT scans for patients across the province — and position B.C. as a global leader in theranostics, a field poised to transform the future of cancer care.

The BC Cancer Foundation is fundraising to provide $3.5 million to support the project which will enhance collaboration between two leading research organizations: BC Cancer and TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre.

Priority: Cyclotron

Cyclotron Project - $3.5m

The Institute for Advanced Medical Isotopes (IAMI) is a state-of-the-art facility for research into next-generation, life-saving medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals. Located on TRIUMF’s campus, it will comprise an integrated series of labs and a TR-24 medical cyclotron, one of the most technologically advanced commercial cyclotrons in the world. IAMI will significantly increase British Columbia’s and Canada’s capacity for the sustainable and reliable production and distribution of medical isotopes currently critical for Canadian health research and clinical use, including Technetium-99m and Fluorine-18.

4004 Wesbrook Mall

Located at TRIUMF IAMI

Web Page Link


Recently, CBC News Vancouver reporter, Darius Mahdavi visited TRIUMF to get the scoop about TRIUMF and the world's largest cyclotron. The segment is a great introduction to TRIUMF, what a cyclotron is and what it is used for.

You can view the segment below, on YouTube.

CBC visits TRIUMF

YouTube Link

State-of-the-art technology enhances cancer diagnostics, research, care 

Cancer patients and their families will benefit from more access to life-saving cancer diagnostics as new equipment and research expand access to PET/CT scans and innovative cancer treatments throughout the province.

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This morning the Ministry of Health – in collaboration with BC Cancer Foundation, BC Cancer and TRIUMF – announced a significant expansion of B.C.’s nuclear medicine facilities at TRIUMF. 
 
As we celebrate this incredible news becoming public, and find renewed hope in knowing this expansion will bring faster and more effective treatment and care for patients in B.C., I want to thank you again for your fundraising support through the Tech Believes campaign.
 
Thanks to an $18.5 million anonymous donation in 2018 — $15 million of which was fundamental in establishing BC Cancer’s Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics program under the leadership of Dr. François Bénard — we’re now building on this investment with this new state-of-the-art cyclotron and radiopharmacy laboratory in Vancouver. Today, the BC Cancer Foundation announced we will invest another $3.5 million in this technology to establish Vancouver as one of a few facilities in the world to produce the specific radioactive atom needed in radiopharmaceuticals — positioning B.C. as a global leader in theranostics, a field on the cusp of transforming cancer care.
 
Today realizes the vision of the many donors who worked so hard to bring this cutting-edge care to patients in B.C, as early as 2018. One of which, a 59-year-old father who endured three and a half years of unsuccessful grueling treatment before losing his life to prostate cancer. His three kids might still have their father today if he had had access to this new technology and treatment.   
 
More here: State-of-the-art technology enhances cancer diagnostics, research, care