Friends donate $2.4M to cancer care at LHSC

LONDON, Ont. – A pair of lifelong friends have made an “extraordinary” $2.4-million donation to advance cancer care at the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at London Health Sciences Centre, LHSC’s fundraising arm says.

Long-time London Health Sciences Foundation supporters Craig Combe (pictured left) and his friend Ken MacMaster (pictured right), the previous owner and longtime leader of the family-owned MacMaster Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC dealership, were inspired to support better cancer care after seeing how the disease “touched their friends and loved ones,” according to a foundation news release issued on Tuesday.

“I took it in my heart to help people if I could,” MacMaster said in a statement. “If we can eliminate some suffering or grief for families, then it’ll be worth it.”

The pair’s donation will support LHSC’s purchase of a second Varian Ethos therapy system, an AI-driven linear accelerator, and the introduction of AlignRT radiation therapy and HyperSight imaging systems across the hospital’s fleet of linear accelerators, the foundation said.

Linear accelerators are used to treat “many types of cancer,” including prostate, bladder, lung and some blood cancers, LHSC’s fundraising arm said. AlignRT allows continuous monitoring of a patient’s position throughout treatment, helping clinicians maintain accuracy during radiation delivery, while HyperSight gives a sharper, faster picture of the patient for clearer visualization of the tumour and nearby organs.

“Together, these software upgrades will enhance the precision and efficiency of radiation treatment in London. The technology is designed to target tumours with exceptional accuracy while minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue – similar to treating only the yolk of an egg without affecting the white or shell.”

Donor-funded upgrades to medical technology are crucial to helping LHSC deliver faster, more precise and personalized radiation therapy while expanding capacity to meet the needs of a growing number of patients, the foundation said.

An estimated two in five Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, according to the foundation, which noted the hospital provides radiation treatment to roughly 300 patients each day.

Combe said he wanted to see the technology’s “advanced way of treating people” brought to London.

“Our physicians already have the expertise, but this helps ensure they have the tools to match,” he said. “If we can help give patients even greater peace of mind during one of the most difficult times in their lives, that’s worth investing in.”

Combe and MacMaster’s “remarkable gift” will help ensure patients continue to benefit from some of the most advanced radiation technologies available, said Michael Ott, LHSC’s department head of oncology.

“This investment will enhance the care experience for thousands of patients in the years ahead,” Ott said. “We are deeply grateful to the Combe and MacMaster families for helping shape the future of cancer care in our region.”