Cancer Services

Cancer care in the Toronto Central Regional Cancer Program is delivered through a network of service providers that includes two regional cancer centres, public health units, a community care access centre, and hospitals that have partnership agreements with Cancer Care Ontario. Under these agreements, Cancer Care Ontario provides funding to the hospitals based on volume and ability to meet quality standards for services such as cancer surgery and colonoscopy, and programs such as the Ontario Breast Screening Program and the New Drug Funding Program, which was created to ensure equal access to cancer drugs in Ontario.

The following is a list of service providers in the Toronto Central Region that have partnership agreements with Cancer Care Ontario. Please note that many other hospitals and care providers in the Toronto Central Region provide cancer services not funded by Cancer Care Ontario.

Want to know which breast cancer screening sites are closest to you? Visit the Ontario Breast Screening Program locator to map the sites in your area.

About regional cancer centres in the Toronto Central Regional Cancer Program

The Toronto Central Regional Cancer Program has two regional cancer centres: the Odette Cancer Centre and the Princess Margaret Hospital.

About the Odette Cancer Centre

Opened in 1982 on the campus of Sunnybrook Hospital – now known as the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre - the Odette Cancer Centre sees 10,000 new patients per year. It boasts expert multidisciplinary health teams as well as state-of-the-art facilities that include 13 radiation treatment machines. In addition to providing the full spectrum of patient care, including preventive oncology, surgical oncology, chemotherapy, radiation oncology, medical imaging, psychosocial and palliative care, the Odette Cancer Centre is also intensively engaged in research, education, and community outreach. The centre offers specialized clinics, including a clinic for women with locally advanced breast cancer, a program for young women with breast cancer, and a clinic for women with gynecological malignancies who have sexual concerns. Odette Cancer Centre offers specialty residency training and fellowship programs in partnership with the University of Toronto.

About the Princess Margaret Hospital

Opened in May 1958, the Princess Margaret Hospital and its research arm, the Ontario Cancer Institute, are internationally recognized leaders in the fight against cancer. Their clinical and research staff includes experts in oncology, with specialties that include surgical oncology, bone marrow transplantation, chemotherapy, hematology, radiation therapy, medical imaging, and psychosocial oncology. Its research arm is the Ontario Cancer Institute. The hospital, which is part of the University Health Network, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008; during these five decades, the hospital treated more than 350,000 cancer patients. The hospital underwent a $15-million renovation program which was completed in the fall of 1998. This renovation created treatment centres focusing on specific cancers including breast, prostate, brain tumours, and head and neck cancers. The hospital’s 800,000-square foot facility houses 220 patient beds, 160,000 square feet of research space, and 17 radiation treatment machines in special underground concrete bunkers. The Princess Margaret Hospital has the capacity to serve 10,000 new patients a year, or over 500 patients a day. About 190,000 outpatients come to Princess Margaret each year for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care.

The Toronto Central Regional Cancer Program has five partner hospitals:

Mount Sinai Hospital

The surgical oncology Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai Hospital offers treatment through its highly specialized teams for various types of cancers, including breast, colorectal, gastric, endocrine, genitourinary, head and neck, and sarcoma. Specialized care offered at Mount Sinai Hospital includes the breast and sarcoma programs. Several cancer programs, namely sarcoma, gastrointestinal, and head and neck, are joint programs with Princess Margaret Hospital.

Saint Michael’s Hospital

St. Michael’s Hospital covers the full spectrum of cancer services, from screening and diagnosis to treatment, follow-up care and support. The interprofessional staff have recognized expertise in diagnosing and treating a number of types of cancer, including, breast, colorectal, prostate and brain tumours. Examples of the specialized care provided at St. Michael’s Hospital include neurosurgery, surgical robotics, advanced therapeutic endoscopy, screening and diagnostics for breast abnormalities and palliative care.

St. Joseph’s Health Centre

St. Joseph’s Health Centre offers an extensive range of surgical oncology services, including gastrointestinal, breast, hepatobiliary, endocrine, urologic and thoracic cancer surgeries. St. Joseph’s Health Centre runs multidisciplinary case conferences with the radiation oncology providers at Princess Margaret Hospital. It is recognized as a Level 1 thoracic surgery centre.

Find out more about designated thoracic surgery centres in Ontario.

Toronto East General

Toronto East General Hospital provides a variety of cancer services in collaboration with partners at the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Building on the success of this partnership, Toronto East General Hospital recently established, together with North York General Hospital, an integrated thoracic (lung and esophagus) surgery program. North York General Hospital patients who require thoracic surgery are now referred to Toronto East General Hospital, which is designated as a Level 1 thoracic surgery centre.

Find out more about designated thoracic surgery centres in Ontario.

Women’s College Hospital

As part of its mission to improve cancer control and become an academic leader in the fight against this disease, Women’s College Hospital has built a robust cancer program spanning the entire care continuum, from prevention and screening, to diagnosis, surgical treatment and survivorship. Its key areas of focus include breast, colorectal, thyroid, skin and cervix cancers.