Your Impact on Cancer Care

I want to express my deepest gratitude for our donors’ support of cancer care at North York General (NYG). Thanks to donor giving, our teams have access to advanced tools for diagnosis and treatment—technology that truly changes lives. This year, NYG became the first hospital in Canada to screen for breast cancer using both AI and Contrast-Enhanced Mammography, detecting cancers more accurately than ever before. We are also excited to expand our robotic-assisted surgery program with the addition of a new robotic surgery platform. Together, we are giving patients and families the gift of hope, comfort, and healing in life’s most defining moments.

Dr. Vishal Patel
Medical Director, Cancer Care

Your Impact on Cancer Care

This year, thanks to our donors, North York General became the first hospital in Canada to screen for breast cancer using both AI and Contrast-Enhanced Mammography, detecting cancers more accurately than ever before. With donor support, we are also adding a fourth mammography machine, allowing 11,000 more exams each year. This increased capacity is especially critical as new government screening guidelines now include patients as young as 40.

By the Numbers

From January 1 to December 31, 2024

6,047

Oncology Clinic patients made 36,322 visits

New Mammography System at North York General: Our Next Step - In Hospital Screening

929

total number of cancer care inpatients

2,882

breast cancer patients made 15,145 visits

358

colorectal cancer patients made 3,653 visits

1,095

malignant hematological patients made 6,824 visits

155

prostate cancer patients made 2,017 visits*

Each day, patients receiving chemotherapy collectively experience greater comfort with:

30-60

juice drinks

60

snacks

60-120

warm blankets

Overall note: While breast and colorectal volumes were lower in 2024 from 2023, other areas of the body saw notable increases, leading to an overall 30% rise in oncology clinic visits.

*With an increase in the use of oral chemotherapy (which allows patients to take their treatments at home) and follow-up visits, there was a substantial rise in prostate cancer visits from approximately 1,583 by 135 patients in 2023 to 2,017 visits by 155 patients.

Your Gift in Action

With your generous support, we are transforming patient care by investing in leading-edge technology and advanced equipment.

Ceiling Lift

This past year, we acquired a patient ceiling lift system for one of our cancer care inpatient rooms. This equipment is essential for patients who no longer have the strength to walk, whether due to treatment side effects or the advanced stage of their illness. The lift allows clinicians to safely transfer patients from bed to chair, stretcher, or wheelchair, to go for tests or even enjoy time outdoors with loved ones. It provides safe, seamless transfers while reducing the risk of falls or injury.

Biological Safety Cabinet/Benchtop

Our oncology certified pharmacy technicians use the new biological safety cabinet (BSC) to prepare chemotherapy medication for each patient. The BSC filters both inflow and exhaust air — ensuring the highest level of air quality to maintain medication sterility for patients undergoing cancer treatment. The equipment also protects pharmacy technicians when compounding chemotherapy medications from hazardous chemical exposure. An ergonomic glass cutout in the new BSC allows technicians to see the compounding workflow monitor directly in front of them, reducing repetitive strain injury and making their work safer and more efficient.

Biological Safety Cabinet/Benchtop

Contrast-Enhanced Mammography

Our current fleet of three mammography systems were recently upgraded with Contrast-Enhanced Mammography and artificial intelligence (AI), making North York General the first hospital in Canada to use this powerful combination of technology to detect breast cancer sooner. Contrast Enhanced Mammography uses an iodine-based contrast agent in combination with a standard digital mammogram to reveal some cancers that are not visible on standard mammograms. The AI technology continuously uses anonymized data to help detect cancer and potentially intervene sooner. With the help of donors, we’re adding a fourth system with the same advanced technology, enabling us to screen an additional 11,000 patients a year.

Surgical Robot

We’re thrilled that our new da Vinci Xi surgical robot has just arrived, and the OR teams will begin training in November! This remarkable technology will help our surgeons treat a range of cancers, including prostate, kidney, uterine, rectal, and colon. With the surgical robot, NYG will be able to perform more cancer surgeries, including those that are highly complex. This innovative technique ensures heightened surgical precision and improved patient outcomes. The advanced technology of robotic-assisted surgery empowers surgeons with enhanced dexterity and visibility resulting in reduced surgical complications, less post-operative pain, and faster recovery times.

Surgical Robot

Full Circle: A Mother’s Gift of Gratitude

When Roshan Doctor arrived in Canada as a young immigrant from India, she couldn’t have imagined the life that lay ahead — raising two daughters, building a new future in Markham, and eventually becoming a proud grandmother to five. But one of the most unexpected and meaningful chapters of her life began with a visit to NYG.