Canadian Cancer Society

Canadian Cancer Society

The Canadian Cancer Society is a national, community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. To achieve its mission, the Society focuses on cancer prevention and on developing funding for cancer research. It also plays a primary role in empowering, informing and supporting Canadians living with cancer and advocating for public policies to improve the health of Canadians, as well as rallying citizen involvement in the fight against cancer.

A combined initiative of the CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION and provincial lay groups, the Canadian Cancer Society was founded as a national body in 1938. The organization's original mandate was to increase public awareness about the early warning signs of cancer and encourage people to seek medical attention promptly. Currently, the Society consists of a national office and 10 provincial offices with over 170 000 volunteers and more than 1200 full-time staff. Today, over 60% of Canadians diagnosed with cancer will survive the disease five years after diagnosis compared with 25% in the 1940s.

The Society relies on the generosity of the public through donations and fundraisers to raise money for research and the Society's other important mission work. Many fundraising events are organized throughout the year, including its signature event Relay For Life taking place in communities across Canada and its annual campaign, Daffodil Month, taking place in April.

The Canadian Cancer Society is the largest national charitable fundraising organization for cancer research in Canada. Since 1947, the organization has supported the cancer research community in Canada and funded cancer research across all scientific disciplines in order to reduce cancer incidence and mortality, and improve the quality of life of patients and survivors. Research funds are administered by the Canadian Cancer Research Institute (CCSRI, formerly the National Cancer Institute of Canada). Each year, the CCSRI manages multiple peer-review grant competitions with the help of volunteer scientists from across the country and abroad. Since its inception, the Society has raised more than $1 billion for cancer research and cancer control in Canada. The CCSRI's research program funds and supports research to advance progress in cancer control along the entire spectrum from prevention, to treatment, to end of life care.