Overview
- Recruitment begins immediately at the Toronto cancer centre, starting with current patients and expanding through physician referrals and cascade testing of relatives.
- Participant samples will undergo whole‑exome sequencing at Helix, with individual reports returned in roughly 8–12 weeks alongside access to genetic counselling.
- Screening targets hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA1/2), Lynch syndrome and familial hypercholesterolemia to enable evidence‑based surveillance and prevention.
- The initiative is philanthropically funded at about $20 million and participation is voluntary and free for up to 100,000 people over the study period.
- Princess Margaret joins Helix’s 15‑hospital research network planning about 1.6 million exomes, and privacy safeguards require de‑identified data with re‑linkage controlled locally.