CancerCare Manitoba has announced new funding to support continued research into childhood cancer as youth transition into adulthood and leave the pediatric health care system. Collaborating with researchers in PROMISE — Pediatric Research in Oncology in Manitoba: Innovation, Science & Excellence — a province-wide pediatric cancer research initiative, this additional funding will help track and study youth after they turn 18.

PROMISE — developed by the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba, and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba — brings together a critical mass of scientists and clinician-scientists to drive innovation and collaboration in pediatric and adolescent cancer research. The program is already gaining national attention for its interdisciplinary approach, strong patient partnerships, and commitment to improving outcomes for children and youth living with cancer.

“PROMISE is a shining example of what’s possible when institutions come together around a shared vision,” said Dr. Sri Navaratnam, President and CEO of CancerCare Manitoba. “This additional funding reflects our ongoing commitment to this research — by continuing to follow relapses of childhood cancer cases as patients move into young adulthood.”

“This is an important investment that ensures young Manitobans facing a cancer diagnosis will continue to have access to timely, research-informed care,” said Patti Smith, President & CEO of CancerCare Manitoba Foundation. “By adding on to PROMISE to follow patients into early adulthood, we’re giving Manitoba’s leading researchers and clinicians the tools they need to find better treatments, faster — ultimately improving the lives of young patients and their families.”

“Cancer doesn’t stop at age 18 — some cancers persist, and others may relapse — so it’s critical that we follow these young people into early adulthood as part of our ongoing research into better treatments for childhood cancers,” said Nichola Wigle, Interim CEO of the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. “We are so pleased with this supplemental funding to continue the research done through PROMISE.

The PROMISE initiative is unique in Canada and aims to elevate Manitoba’s role on the national and international pediatric cancer research stage. This new funding will support collaborative research, training opportunities for early-career scientists, and stronger connections between researchers, clinicians, and families.