A program, called Terry Fox PROFYLE (PRecision Oncology For Young PeopLE), sequences tumours at the molecular level and the information is analyzed at one of three labs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver for those up to the age of 29.

Dr. David Malkin of Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children says the focus of the five-year project is the approximately one in five pediatric cancer patients whose disease is considered hard to treat.

About 40 are taking part in the study and about half have had their tumours sequenced because of the cooperation with over 30 pediatric cancer research and funding groups as well as the Terry Fox Research Institute.

About 1,900 youth under the age of 18 are diagnosed with cancer each year in Canada and about one-third wold be eligible for PROFYLE.

Darrell Fox says his late brother was passionate about meeting young cancer patients while on his Marathon of Hope and that this program’s another example of how Terry united the country.