One in two Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
Now, imagine it’s you or someone you love—every moment between finding a tumour and getting a diagnosis feels endless. The stress, the uncertainty, the waiting—it’s a time of fear and hope, where every second counts. Our dedicated lab team at Grand River Hospital provides the best care possible, but we urgently need your support to deliver life-saving diagnoses faster.
Currently, our lab has about a four-week turnaround time for lung biomarker testing. This delay is mainly due to the limitations of our current immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing menu. We’re forced to send these tests to external labs, which can extend the diagnosis process to nearly four weeks. With the right antibodies available in-house, we could cut this time in half and perform these tests right here at Grand River Hospital.
An immunohistochemistry (IHC) machine helps doctors detect and understand cancer by identifying specific proteins in tissue samples. Using antibodies that bind to these proteins, it highlights abnormal cells. This allows pathologists to pinpoint the type and stage of cancer, guiding doctors in choosing the most effective treatment. Our IHC menu is good, but to speed up diagnosis and reduce the strain on the system, we need to elevate it from good to great.
Renee Giroux, our Integrated Lab Director for Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital, has highlighted the limitations of our current IHC menu with a powerful analogy: “It’s like having an MRI that can only scan the head.” Without a more comprehensive IHC menu, we can't fully utilize our resources. Expanding it will help us see the full picture, enabling us to provide the precise and timely care our patients deserve.
Renee also emphasizes the personal nature of our work: "Although the lab isn’t patient-facing, I remind the team that behind every tissue sample is someone’s loved one—a parent, child, or friend. It’s our responsibility to do everything we can to get them the answers they need, so they can heal and return to those who are waiting for them." These words reflect our lab team's deep commitment to every patient who comes through our doors.
Unfortunately, the costs of adding these essential antibodies to our testing menu are high, and our lab’s budget hasn’t grown to meet these needs. We currently have a temporary arrangement with William Osler Health System for support, but this is only a short-term fix.
Expanding our IHC testing capabilities at Grand River Hospital could eliminate a two-week delay in diagnosing lung cancer, allowing for quicker treatment decisions and better outcomes. But we can’t do this alone—we need your support to make it happen.
Your donation could directly improve the speed and accuracy of cancer diagnoses, allowing more tests to be done right here in our hospital. Loyal donors Dianne and John Edworthy, who understand the stress of a cancer diagnosis, have generously offered to match all donations up to $25,000 to help speed up cancer diagnosis times.
Together, we can ensure our patients receive the timely care they deserve.
Thank you,
Paul McIntyre Royston
President & CEO, Grand River Hospital Foundation
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