In 2023, an estimated 24,100 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in Canada, making it the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country. It is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Five-year survival rate is roughly 66 per cent.
This disease usually takes numerous years to develop and can be detected through early-screening tests such as colonoscopies. Genetic testing helps determine risks of developing the disease, are there is a pre-disposition among some families in the general population to inherit the disease.
Today, high prevalence, high-mortality rates and ineffective treatments make colorectal cancer a pressing health issue in Canada.
Our Research Strategy
Given these challenges, the Terry Fox Research Institute has embarked on a multi-pronged strategy to fund the best brain cancer scientific teams and programs in the country.
In 2022/2023, roughly 5 per cent of the money invested by the TFRI supported colorectal cancer research. This added up to a total investment of $615,000.*
To allocate its resources, the Institute has international experts evaluate the excellence and the potential for impact of all its research projects. This approach distinguishes our research investment strategy from all others in Canada and allows donors to be confident that their investment is supporting the top 5% of Canadian researchers and their science.
*Our scientific discovery projects are interdisciplinary by design and often focus on more than one cancer type. The figures listed above are an estimate and should not be taken as exact figures.