Grant: Team Grant: CCS Breakthrough Team Grants - Transforming Low Survival Cancers

The Challenge: Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are rare (~1,000 new cases in Canada per year). When localized, surgical resection is possible, but most patients present with Stage IV disease, where the estimated 5-year survival is <2%. Current systemic chemotherapy offers modest prolongation of survival but at a huge cost to quality of life. Clinical trials of molecularly targeted therapies are reporting a longer and better life for BTC patients, and prolonged remission has been seen with novel immunotherapies. The promise of emerging BTC research and immunotherapies offer hope for a durable and long-term survival, although the probability of benefit is still not high. Our Solution: We propose that by integrating comprehensive research into clinical care, at the earliest time possible in a patient's cancer treatment trajectory, we will better appreciate the needs, values, and hopes of Canadian BTC patients and understand the unique challenges in the clinical and research landscape. We will establish the Canadian Cholangiocarcinoma Collaborative (C3), a partnership among patients, caregivers, oncologists and researchers. Our goal is to boost access to clinical trials and personalized treatments for BTC patients and enable the development of an immunotherapy pipeline for therapeutic discovery. The C3 will provide much needed hope to affected individuals including patients and families by delivering on 3 specific aims: AIM 1: Integration of a National BTC Research Navigator (RNav) into Patient Care. Willing Canadian BTC patients will provide online consent to be contacted by the C3 RNav, who will help them navigate the complex world of research and provide information about the C3 and the various opportunities to participate, including the: 1. International Cholangiocarcinoma Patient Registry 2. National BTC Multidisciplinary Oncology Rounds 3. Information and Access to BTC Molecular Testing and Clinical Trials 4. C3 Hope Study 5. Development of www.cholangiocarcinoma.ca 6. C3 Immunomics and Genomics Biomarker Screening Pipeline