Saskatchewan will play a role in a national cancer centre network aimed at developing precision cancer medicine for Canadians.

The federal government has promised $150-million over the next five years for the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centre Network.

The Terry Fox Research Institute is launching the initiative with the Saskatchewan component being set up at the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency in Regina.

Saskatoon doctor Deborah Anderson calls it the “Team Canada” of cancer research.

Doctors will use genomics, imaging, molecular profiling and artificial intelligence to identify common traits in cancer patients regardless of their complex circumstances and devise effective treatments.

Dr Anderson expects to process 15,000 cases in Saskatchewan’s first three years of operations once they get started next year.

She calls the project and its possibilities amazing.

The network’s partners will match the federal funding.

(CJWW)