Canadian Cholangiocarcinoma Collaborative (C3)
Collectif Canadien pour le Cholangiocarcinome (C3)
A message from Dr. Rebecca Auer,
C3 Co-Founder
As a cancer surgeon and researcher, I have dedicated much of my career to understanding cancer biology and immunology and trying to integrate that knowledge into both research and care. When my husband and the father of our three boys was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in May 2022, I did not need to look up the statistics to know how grim the prognosis was. I felt a sense of hopelessness for our future. I was devastated.
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My colleague, Dr. Carolina Ilkow, and our mentor, Dr. John Bell, reminded me that hope is being discovered every day in cancer research. The advances in molecular targeted agents and immunotherapy are happening faster than ever. I remembered all the patients I have looked after over the years that had unimaginable outcomes from experimental therapies. This gave me the hope and courage to face each new day.
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Our goal at C3 is to provide patients hope by advancing this agenda through discovery research, conducting immunotherapy clinical trials and increasing access to experimental use of molecularly targeted agents, and giving a voice to researchers, oncologists and patients who want to see the care of cholangiocarcinoma patients improved across Canada.
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​​It is time to recognize that RESEARCH IS CARE.