you Because of

2013-2014 ANNUAL REPORT

SASKATCHEWAN

you Because of

2013-2014 REPORT TO THE PEOPLE OF

SASKATCHEWAN

Heidi Hayes, 15, survivor of acute lymphoblastic leukemia,raises funds for and awareness about the Society’s research, information and support programs.

cancer is always going to be a part of my life. I choose to embrace that and do something positive with it. The canadian cancer society was there for me and my family. Now it is my turn to give back.”

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Heidi Hayes was only nine when she was diagnosed with acutelymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). She endured two and a half years ofchemotherapy before she was declared cancer-free.

During Heidi’s cancer journey, her mother faced the added stress andexpenses of travelling back and forth between their home in Orillia toToronto for treatments. She turned to the Canadian Cancer Society for help.

Today, Heidi is an energetic, enthusiastic teenager who shares herpersonal story to inspire others to get involved in the fight againstcancer. She proudly participates in Relay For Life and raises fundsto help ensure that fewer families experience the devastationof a child with cancer.

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• Our volunteer drivers provided 13,043 rides to nearly 600 cancer patients, more than 250 of those from rural Saskatchewan.

• 147 Saskatchewan people living with cancer found inspiration and hope through our Peer Support program by talking to people who had faced a similar experience. Another 259 people from other provinces turned to our compassionate and brave Saskatchewan volunteers for strength.

• We provided 50 caring kits to children with cancer and their families to use in treatment and hospital.

• In 5 communities, 189 people – cancer patients and caregivers – found information, strength, hope and friendship at Living Well with Cancer community retreats. And they did so without having to travel far from home.

• Our information specialists answered questions about cancer from almost 1,900 people in Saskatchewan, arming them with the power of information about prevention, treatment, supportive care and much more.

• 204 cancer patients and 20 caregivers received much-needed financial assistance with the costs of transportation and accommodation.

• Our Smokers’ Helpline responded to 1,500 calls in Saskatchewan.

• 553 people signed up for our Reminder for Life program. Every year, they will receive a reminder about what they need to discuss with their doctor, based on age and gender.

• More than 1,500 people signed our petition or wrote letters calling on the provincial government to ban the use of indoor tanning equipment for youth under the age of 18.

Our cancer control team:

• delivered more than 50 prevention presentations to more than 1,500 people: businesspeople, politicians, government employees, health professionals, seniors, students, teachers and the general public

• partnered with 6 Saskatchewan communities to provide more than 100 people with information on healthy food choices at prevention forums

• provided information to more than 10,000 people at 28 health fairs, university and college orientations, non-profit forums and First Nation Treaty Days

• provided 44 high schools with tan-free grad packages, encouraging students to pledge to go tan-free for grad

• delivered more than 30 skin cancer prevention/tan-free grad presentations

• took 1,000 pictures with a camera that uses ultraviolet (UV) reflectance technology to detect damage to the skin caused by the sun and indoor tanning that’s often invisible to the naked eye

• worked with stakeholders to urge the Saskatchewan government to enact Howard’s Law, making it mandatory that information about asbestos found in buildings owned by the province, health regions and used or connected to schools be placed in a public registry available online – a first in Canada

• made 3 presentations at Regina City Hall as part of efforts with partners to obtain 3 pesticide-free and 80 herbicide-free parks

SSuccesses in 2013/14

We saw amazing success in 2013/14, and owe it all to our wonderful donors. Because of you:

We thank our kind and generous donors for their trust and support. Together, we are making a difference.”

“ Keith Karasin, Executive Director The Canadian Cancer Society in Saskatchewan

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan hope to learn more about extending the lives of people with drug-resistant cancer by treating dogs with lymphoma.

“Dogs and humans get the same cancers,” says Dr Troy Harkness, a molecular geneticist and professor at the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine.

“The cancer we’re studying, lymphoma, is very similar to human non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It’s spontaneous, it responds to therapy, the same therapies are used, and they both develop resistance in the same manner.”

Because dogs have shorter life spans than people, researchers can follow their cancer progression in a shorter time frame and get results quicker than through human trials, says Dr Harkness, whose team has received a $165,000 Innovation Grant from the Canadian Cancer Society.

“A dog might go from initial treatment to drug resistance to failing drug resistance within maybe 18 months,” Dr Harkness says.

“This covers 10-15 years of what a human will go through. This allows us to look at the entire thing, the entire cancer progression in upwards of 12-18 months.”

For the last 12 years, Dr Harkness’ research has focused primarily on cancers that no longer respond to treatment.

“This is what happens to most people who get chemotherapy,” he says. “They can go into remission and live fine for a number of years, but ultimately many of these people come back with recurrent cancer that can no longer be treated, so our goal is to try to help those people.”

Last year, the team began studying the effect of metformin on dogs with drug-resistant lymphoma. Metformin is a drug that is used to treat type 2 diabetes.

Studies have found that people on metformin seem to develop cancer less often than people who are not.

Dogs started getting metformin as part of their cancer treatments after Dr Val MacDonald, a veterinary medical oncologist with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, read an article about Dr Harkness’ work and contacted him about working together to try and reverse drug-resistance in dogs.

With funding from the College of Medicine and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, they began treating dogs with metformin and got preliminary data.

“So far, we’ve been able to see that proteins we’ve observed being elevated in drug-resistant cancers get reduced as we treat them.” Dr Harkness says. “It’s almost like Star Trek, where you lower the defensive shields. Once you lower the cancer cells’ defences, you can hit them again with the original chemotherapy so that it works again.”

With the Innovation Grant, the team can take the project one step further and include dogs that are newly diagnosed with lymphoma.

“We can take these dogs from the beginning, when they first enter the clinic with drug-sensitive lymphoma, we can catch them when they develop resistance and we can catch then again later as we treat them with the chemicals,” Dr Harkness says.

The team can take tumour samples from the dogs before treatment, during treatment and after treatment, and compare with the results in the lab.

“In a single dog we can track all the genes and pick out the ones that are being turned on with drug resistance and being turned off later that correlate with reversal of drug resistance,” Dr Harkness says.

Treating dogs with cancer to help people with cancer

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“If we do this with a number of dogs, we can start picking out the commonalities, the genes that are always turned on, or off.”

He adds: “Whatever we find in dogs, we predict will be similar in humans. If we find the right combination, we may be able to predict earlier when multiple drug resistance is happening, target these individuals and start with a new treatment that may ultimately be more effective.”

The team is recruiting dogs with lymphoma to take part in the study,

“If we get 10, 20 dogs, we can work within a blinded study,” Dr Harkness says. “It would be tremendous for us, we think for the cancer community, for future investments.”

Dr Harkness says the team should have enough data within two years to have a really good idea of how metformin assists in reversing drug resistance. Then a similar study could be run with people to apply what the team has learned in dogs.

“We have every reason to believe this is going to be translatable, and if it is translatable, I think it’s worth the risk of funding this because right now there are few treatment options for individuals suffering with drug-resistant tumours, so we need to help these people,” Dr Harkness says.

In addition to Drs Harkness and MacDonald, team members include Dr Terra Arnason, a biochemist and clinical endocrinologist, with the College of Medicine, and Dr Tony Kusalik, with the College of Arts and Science, whose primary research interests centre around bioinformatics.

Another team member is Dr Casey Gaunt, a small animal internal medicine specialist, with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. The combination of research science, clinical science and computer science is an innovative approach to understanding and overcoming cancer.

The Society’s Innovation Grants program supports innovation, creative problem solving and unconventional concepts, approaches or methodologies in cancer research. This year, the Society has awarded 46 grants worth almost $9 million.

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Stopping skin cancer before it starts

In parallel with our efforts at legislation, we partnered with Sun Smart Saskatchewan to launch Drop Dead Gorgeous, a new education campaign with materials to show young adults the dangers of ultraviolet radiation and indoor tanning. Our volunteers and poster models Jenna and Caroline presented the dangers to 36 members of the legislative assembly and helped inform others about this carcinogen recognized by the World Health Organization. As Jenna says, “I’ve done school presentations, media interviews and talks with volunteers. And just recently became the poster girl for the Society’s tan-free grad initiative. Yup, that’s me with all that skin damage.”

The campaign has had great impact right across Saskatchewan. With the help of volunteers, like public health nurse Caroline Strum, the Society provided information to more than 44 high schools and over 1,000 students. We used our special photomation camera 700 times to expose UV skin damage and reached over 10,000 students at high schools and both universities.

With our partners, we also rallied 6 schools to commit to tan-free graduations in 2014. Our new tanfree.ca website includes information, testimonials, myth busters and the latest research. In its first 4 months alone the site had more than 1,500 views, likes or comments with over 100 members.

More than 60% of teens who use tanning beds started before age 15, so we commissioned an Ipsos Reid poll in December 2013 to see if people agree with our position that Saskatchewan should join 7 other provinces and ban indoor tanning for youth under age 18. Saskatchewan people – a whopping 81% – agreed with us.

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Ending the flavour before tobacco hooks a new generation

Over the last decade tobacco manufacturers flooded the market with brightly coloured packages of fruit-and candy-flavoured tobacco products. Cigars, cigarillos, waterpipe and chew tobacco are widely available in flavours, like grape, cherry, mango, strawberry, ice cream and vanilla. These products are designed to attract youth and encourage them to smoke. A recent Canadian study found that more than half of teen tobacco users in Saskatchewan – 53% – reported using a flavoured tobacco product in the previous 30 days.

We are calling for a ban on all flavoured tobacco and have made it easy for people concerned about this issue to let politicians know how they feel through takeaction.cancer.ca, our new website. As Donna Pasiechnik, manager of tobacco control says, “The best way to move this issue forward is for lots of people to contact their member of the legislature and simply say that we want these deadly products off the shelf.”

Citizens who visit takeaction.cancer.ca can find and send a message to their MLA by filling in their name, email address and postal code. It’s that easy.

When Mary Antonenko was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in December 2010, she turned to her family and friends for support.

Once she got to know other cancer survivors, though, she realized how valuable their support was to her cancer journey, too.

“We all need our own personal support system, but no matter how good your own personal support system is, it’s not the same as connecting with other survivors,” Mary, 57, says. “Someone who hasn’t been through it just doesn’t know what you’re going through.”

That’s why Mary, who has taken part in the Relay For Life event in Estevan since 2011 and went to a conference for people living with cancer in Saskatoon two years ago, attended a free Living Well with Cancer community retreat last fall in Estevan. It was one of five cancer community retreats held in Saskatchewan in 2013, the first year for these events.

“It’s a good place to connect with other cancer survivors,” Mary says.

It’s also a good place to learn about the Canadian Cancer Society’s

CCommunity retreats help cancer survivors know they are not alone

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programs and services, and a good place to get information.

“Information is really important,” Mary says. “When you’ve been diagnosed and even after your treatments, you want to make sure you’re doing the right things.”

She adds: “You talk to other survivors. You hear what the speaker has to say. It helps you to keep being a survivor. The biggest thing is you’re not alone.”

Holding a retreat in Estevan means that cancer survivors living in Estevan and the surrounding area don’t have to travel far, and people who otherwise are not able to attend can be there, Mary says. “It’s easier for people to get to it when it’s close to home.”

About the Living Well with Cancer community retreats

A cancer diagnosis can often leave a person feeling lonely, scared, anxious and uncertain. The Canadian Cancer

Society works with communities to plan a special day for cancer survivors.

The Living Well with Cancer community retreats provide people living with cancer with tools, skills and information that help make the journey easier.

The retreats also connect people with others in their community who are going through a similar experience.

They are for adults with any type of cancer at any stage in the cancer journey. Survivors are welcome to bring one support person to the retreat. Participants must register before the event.

We put together a day of sessions that range from the practical to the spiritual, including topics like healthy eating, relaxation, exercise, music therapy and complementary medicine. The retreats can be tailored to meet a community’s needs.

You talk to other survivors. You hear what the speaker has to say. It helps you to keep being a survivor. The biggest thing is you’re not alone.”

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We are pleased to present the Statement of

Financial Activities for the Canadian Cancer Society,

Saskatchewan Division, for the year ended January

31, 2014, with comparatives for the year ended

January 31, 2013.

Our focus is on cancer. That includes funding leading

cancer research, influencing healthy public policy,

providing meaningful support programs for people

living with cancer and engaging Saskatchewan

people in our work. All of this is supported by the

funds that we are able to raise. Unfortunately,

while the number of new cases of cancer continues

to increase, you will see on the financial table

opposite that many of our fundraising activities

are struggling. This is a situation faced by charities

across North America and we are working hard to

stabilize our long-standing activities while being

innovative with new ways of raising money and

being even more efficient in using funds entrusted

to us.

At the same time we can’t forget that even in

difficult financial times our volunteers and donors

provided more services and funded more research

than any other non-government cancer charity in

Saskatchewan. For that we are always incredibly

grateful and even more determined than ever to

work smarter and with even more focus on bringing

together the people across our province that need

our help and the people who want to make a

difference.

Financial highlightsFor the period February 1, 2013 to January 31, 2014

$7.6 million

Administration5%

Advocacy for healthy public policy12%

Fundraising14%

Programs51%

Cancerresearch18%

Net Expenses

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

Revenue

Relay Fo

r Life

Annual giv

ing

Major &

planned gi

fts

Specia

l eve

nts

Tributes

InterestOther

2013-14 2012-13

Thou

sand

s

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(in thousands of dollars) Operations Operations

2014 2013

Revenue: Relay For Life $ 2,279,394 $ 2,635,084

Annual giving 1,385,186 1,530,107

Planned gifts 1,511,427 1,208,700

Special events 1,016,072 1,026,797

Tributes 257,575 264,822

6,449,654 6,665,511

Less:

Direct fundraising (891,050) (1,028,507)

Net fundraising revenue 5,558,604 5,637,004

Investment income 120,999 126,974

Other income 1,295,880 1,266,296

6,975,483 7,030,274

Expenditures: Mission expenditures:

Programs

Quality 1,893,825 2,199,200

Prevention 1,373,167 1,243,180

Survival 594,173 583,328

Research 1,404,345 1,403,416

Advocacy 906,840 807,956

6,172,350 6,237,080

Supporting:

Fundraising 1,042,633 868,197

Administration 410,831 380,455

1,453,464 1,248,652

Increase (decrease) in resources (650,331) (455,458)

Statement of financial activitiesOperations - Saskatchewan DivisionYear ended January 31, 2014, with comparative figures for 2013

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We’re there for Canadians

Our mandate extends beyond scientific discovery to include prevention, advocacy, information and patient and family support. We’re the only national cancer charity to focus on all cancers, in all communities.

We fund the best cancer research

Our peer-review process is recognized as the gold standard. Every year, more than 300 world-class scientists volunteer their expertise to identify the most promising cancer research in the country.

Eradicating preventable cancers

Reducing cancer diagnoses by almost half would not only change thousands of lives, it would radically improve our healthcare system, our economy and our society.

Saving more lives

Thanks to you, the Canadian Cancer Society has funded over $1.23 billion in cancer research since the 1940s, resulting in diagnostic and therapeutic advances that have improved the lives of countless Canadians.

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1 888 939-3333 | cancer.ca/sk

Toll-free: 1-877-977-HOPE (4673)

Board of Directors 2013/2014

Division

• Elizabeth Roberts • Brian Cottrell • Dawne Tokaryk

• Douglas Dahl • Caroline Gillies • Susan Holmes

• Richard Molaro • Donald Hansen • Tara Kennedy

• Murray Williams • Terry Sparks

Saskatchewan Division

1910 McIntyre StreetRegina, Saskatchewan

S4P 2R3

Email: hello@sk.cancer.caTelephone: 306-790-5822

Toll-free: 1-877-977-HOPE (4673)Fax: 306-569-2133