Jean Pagé will be the patron of the 4th National Conference to Defeat Cancer !

Montreal, March 6, 2012 - Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec and the members of the organizing committee for the 4th National Conference to Defeat Cancer are pleased to announce the participation of well-known host and sports analyst Jean Pagé, as the patron of the event.

“I am proud to accept this opportunity to be the patron of the 4th National Conference to Defeat Cancer because I firmly believe that by uniting our efforts and channelling our energy, we will succeed in helping and providing improved support to patients, survivors, informal caregivers and family members,” says prostate cancer survivor Jean Pagé. “For ten years or so, I have been a spokesman for an organization called PROCURE-The Force Against Prostate Cancer and I can tell you that through education, our perseverance and our repeated efforts to raise awareness, we have managed to save a number of lives. I sincerely believe in the power of solidarity and mutual assistance in the face of illness, both before and after treatment.”

Having spent many years under the spotlights, Jean Pagé is well suited to leading the Coalition on the path to its goal, which is to focus on patients, survivors and informal caregivers in an effort to see and understand beyond the statistics. “For example, the latest numbers indicate that the prostate cancer survival rate after five years has climbed to 96%” adds the patron of the 4th National Conference, “This is the kind of news that allows us to believe in our work, to strengthen our resolve, because every small battle, every small victory, propels us forward and gives us hope.”

Other personalities in attendance will include Jason Burns, president of the Pat Burns Award, who, for the very first time, will honour informal caregivers who have done outstanding work benefiting a cancer sufferer, Winston McQuade, moderator, artist, patron of the cancer patients-survivors committee of the Coalition and spokesman for PROCURE-The Force Against Prostate Cancer, who will lead a dessert-discussion on the theme The role of patients, survivors and informal caregivers in the battle against cancer and, finally, Ale Dee, a musician, a Quebec rap scene singer, and informal caregiver to his cancer-stricken mother, who will offer a musical performance.

Under the theme Cancer: a human challenge, first and foremost, the 4th National Conference delivers vibrant testimonials that reflect the reality of people with cancer, as well as captivating science conferences from both the health and public sector and the community. The Coalition also wishes to discuss new issues concerning the battle against cancer, as well as problems that have plagued Quebec for dozens of years, with a view to proposing solutions in dealing with them. The fact that cancer affects 50% of Quebecers and that 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, influences the daily operations of the establishments belonging to the network and the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. So, how can we provide optimum-quality health care despite the variety of needs? The interventions of the Coalition and its National Conference are designed to address this set of problems.

The 4th National Conference, scheduled to be held shortly on March 29 and 30 at the Montreal Bonaventure Hilton, is an event you will not want to miss.