Spotlight on research: NOSM University researchers work on cancer care equity

For many people living in the North, access to cancer care can be difficult to access, due to geographical hurdles. Access to clinical trials is even more limited. Drs. Stacey Santi and Lacey Pitre, medical oncology researchers at the Health Science North Research Institute (HSNRI), are working to change that.  

Using the Canadian Remote Access Framework for Clinical Trials (CRAFT) model, patients who live far away from Health Sciences North (HSN) can access potentially lifesaving clinical trial treatments through a hospital or clinic in their local community. The site chosen for the first trial was in Timmins.  

Having received a grant from Pfizer, the Quebec Lung Cancer Association, and Lung Cancer Canada, Drs. Santi and Pitre are working on a second study to look at the quality of life and satisfaction of care of people receiving care on a clinical trial for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer open in sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and now Timmins.  

“It’s a gateway to ensure all patients, including those who live in the North, can be included in clinical trials,” said Dr. Lacey Pitre, a NOSM University alumna (MD, 2010).  

Drs. Pitre and Santi are both Assistant Professors at NOSM University. They’ve been working together since 2022 on cancer research and collaborate with other researchers. They are also working to understand the financial burden of care for cancer patients in Northeastern Ontario, as well as the epidemiology of early onset colorectal cancer. They would like to see continued research collaborations and research across Northern Ontario.   

“My wish for research—and specifically cancer research in Northern Ontario—is continued collaborations and successful research projects and research outcomes,” said Dr. Santi. Dr. Santi, who is also the Health Sciences North Foundation Research Chair in Cancer Solutions at HSNRI.  

“A lot of this research is only possible because of the participants that consent to be in our studies and also the people that help fund our research studies,” she added.