Alberta's Tomorrow Project
Inspiring Research for a Healthier Tomorrow
Every year, 24,000 Albertans face a life-altering cancer diagnosis. What if we could change that? What if, with the right knowledge and insight, we could prevent some forms of cancer, diagnose cases earlier, and improve the quality of life of people living with cancer in Alberta and beyond?
The goal of Alberta’s Tomorrow Project is to do just that. Alberta’s Tomorrow Project is the province’s largest collaborative health study. Launched in 2000, the study is spending 50 years monitoring 55,000 volunteers by collecting information (data) on their health through surveys and biological samples, such as blood and urine. This data will drive innovative research, new health policies and programs and improved systems for cancer and chronic disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. As a partner in the Canada-wide study, CanPath, the project will help researchers and medical professionals from all over the world determine essential connections between genetics, lifestyle habits, behaviours and health outcomes.
Most importantly, the project aims to reveal how we can better prevent and detect cancer. To date, over two billion units of data, and biological samples from over 30,000 Albertans, have been collected through the study. This data is already being used by researchers, for example, to better understand predictors of colorectal cancer, risk factors for early-onset breast cancer, and identify genetic markers of lung cancer—all contributing to better health outcomes of cancer patients today and tomorrow.
Help us keep Albertans healthy.
Along with the generous support from our donors, the Alberta Cancer Foundation will continue to provide funding to Alberta’s Tomorrow Project – which will soon be based out of the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre – and contribute to significant improvements in cancer research and care for many more generations of Albertans.
