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The Zane Cohen Centre

CARING FOR THE FAMILY AT RISK

Zane Cohen
Zane Cohen

In 2009, the Zane Cohen Centre was founded, bringing together a multidisciplinary team consisting of gastroenterologists, surgeons, psychiatrists, psychologists, pathologists, radiologists, molecular geneticists, genetic counsellors, epidemiologists, paediatricians, and IT specialists from across Toronto. Their goal is to build knowledge and provide comprehensive care to families affected by hereditary bowel cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This is the only centre in the world with all of these experts working in one space, a tremendous resource for patients affected by hereditary cancer and IBD. It allows for comprehensive, multi-disciplinary care and counselling for patients whose illnesses overlap both the medical and surgical specialties.

The unique collaborative environment at The Zane Cohen Centre has enhanced research efforts and developed a worldwide reputation as a leader in gastrointestinal disease research. The centre has become a destination, both nationally and internationally, for researchers interested in investigating hereditary cancer and IBD.

The Zane Cohen Centre is home to the largest familial gastrointestinal cancer registry in Canada. The registry data extends back more than thirty years. This database is a source of substantial contribution to the understanding of hereditary cancer. It has allowed the identification of multiple genes that are now routinely used to identify patients at risk for gastrointestinal malignancy. One of the most notable contributions is identification of the role microsatellite instability plays in the prognosis of colorectal malignancy - a finding that has influenced the use of adjuvant chemotherapy worldwide.

Currently, The Zane Cohen Centre is the lead site in the most promising study in Crohn’s disease research. This international, prospective project was developed by and based at the Centre. One out of every 150 Canadians has IBD. There is no known cause or cure. GEM stands for Genetic, Environmental, and Microbial. The study is investigating the ways in which genetic predisposition, environmental influences, and microbial interactions combine in Crohn’s disease. GEM identifies healthy siblings or children of people living with Crohn’s disease and follows them both before and after diagnosis. By tracking individuals at risk, investigators hope to identify the triggers and factors involved in the development of the disease. Ultimately this knowledge could prognosticate the course of patients with IBD over their lifetimes and tailor medical and surgical therapy on an individual basis.

Because their investigators are clinicians, the Zane Cohen Centre champions translational research and is able to quickly and efficiently bring new research findings into the clinical setting through a number of programs, such as the Evidence Based Reviews in Surgery and the Best Practice in General Surgery, which analyze primary research and integrate the results into guidelines that are applied to clinical work every day in Ontario.

The patient is central to the activity but also to the existence of The Zane Cohen Centre. While many of the researchers have sizeable grants, this money is not enough to cover the infrastructure costs necessary for cutting edge research. The centre could not continue to operate without the generous support from patients and their families. The generous nature of the center’s donors reflects their inherent altruism. Many substantial donors have a family member whose life has been impacted by IBD or hereditary bowel cancer. It is customary to publicly recognize and honour such with ceremonies or by dedicating a part of the centre in their name. However, these donors believe so strongly in the Zane Cohen Centre that they consistently refuse recognition. The donors’ hope is that research at the centre will contribute to a cure for inflammatory bowel disease and bowel cancer. With their continued support, the Zane Cohen Centre is working to make these dreams a reality.

Ryan Snelgrove




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