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Researchers at Թ have discovered a centuries-old genetic mutation that helps to explain why some French‑Canadians in Quebec are at an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer. Until quite recently, standard genetic tests have not been able to identify this “jumping gene” cause.

The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Genetics, suggest better-targeted genetic testing could help identify people at higher cancer risk who were previously missed.

Classified as: William Foulkes, George Zogopoulos, Surgery and Oncology, Departments of Medicine, Oncology, and Human Genetics
Published on: 19 May 2026

Researchers have shed new light on the most common genetic variant linked to hereditary cancer in Quebec’s French-Canadian population. Their findings could result in cheaper and more effective screening methods.

The variant is associated with Lynch syndrome, a condition that greatly increases the risk of colorectal and other cancers.

Classified as: Research Institute of the Թ Health Centre, Թ, William Foulkes, simon gravel
Category:
Published on: 17 Jul 2025

The federal government is expected to overhaul Canada’s cancer screening task force following criticism that its recommendations are outdated and lacked expert input. Breast cancer screening is a key focus, with growing pressure to lower the starting age to 40.

Թ experts are available to speak to the debate, including:

Classified as: William Foulkes, Richard Margolese, guylene theriault, cancer screening, breast cancer
Category:
Published on: 19 Jun 2025

A new study demonstrates how universal genetic testing for breast cancer can ensure no patient is missed for advanced therapies.

Classified as: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Research Institute of the Թ Health, William Foulkes, breast cancer
Category:
Published on: 9 Dec 2024

Two new papers, published simultaneously in Nature Communications and led by researchers at Թ, offer promise that a drug currently used to treat estrogen positive breast cancer may be effective in treating two different types of cancer, one rare and one common form.

Classified as: biochemistry, genomics, Goodman Cancer Research Centre, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, William Foulkes, genetic markers, Sidong Huang
Published on: 4 Feb 2019

Screening for genes whose risk association with breast cancer has yet to be proven is not justified and potentially harmful, argue an international team of leading geneticists and oncologists in a paper published this week in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

Classified as: genetic testing, William Foulkes, cancer genes, genetic counselling, breast cancer susceptibility, cancer risk
Published on: 1 Jun 2015
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