University Health Network acquired a 15-storey property in Toronto to expand programs in cancer care, research and education at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Toronto General Hospital.

The building, located at 522 University Avenue in the city’s Discovery District. will also serve as another training ground for health care learners from UHN’s Michener Institute of Education and partner academic institutions.

“The demand for cancer diagnosis and treatment continues to surge here in Canada and around the world,” said Dr. Kevin Smith, UHN’s president and CEO. “At UHN’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, we serve close to 19,000 new patients every year and this number is growing.”

Possible services at the new building may include enhanced supportive care, including in cancer mental health, an Early Cancer Detection program with increased focus on cancer prevention and the molecular diagnosis and treatment of cancer, a new Prostate Cancer Centre to ensure optimal care for the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, and a centralized Cancer Digital Intelligence team to optimize care through advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence.

“By strategically relocating specific teams and creating new programs, we will be positioned to manage the significant growth in cancer diagnosis and cancer curability in the decades to come,” said Dr. Keith Stewart, vice president of clinical services and director of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.