FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2026
New program addresses months-long genomic testing delays facing pancreatic cancer patients across Atlantic Canada, ensuring precision diagnostics translate into real treatment opportunities.
MOUNT PEARL, NL — The Heather Cutler Foundation (HCF), a registered Canadian charity dedicated to pancreatic cancer awareness, patient support, and advocacy in Atlantic Canada, today announced the launch of the Atlantic Biomarker Access Program (ABAP) — a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to ensure Atlantic Canadian patients have funded access to next-generation sequencing (NGS) and the support needed to act on results.
Pancreatic cancer patients in Atlantic Canada face a compounding set of barriers when it comes to precision diagnostics. Next-generation sequencing — the genomic testing that identifies whether a patient may be eligible for targeted therapies or clinical trials — currently takes months to complete in Newfoundland and Labrador. For a disease with a median survival measured in months, this delay is not a minor inconvenience. It is often the difference between accessing a potentially life-extending treatment and never being offered one.
ABAP addresses this gap directly. The program funds NGS testing for eligible Atlantic Canadian pancreatic cancer patients, provides navigation support through the diagnostic process, and ensures patients and their oncologists receive guidance on acting on results — including clinical trial matching, treatment advocacy, and connection to appropriate specialists. HCF is actively fundraising to expand the program’s patient capacity.
“My mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022. Genomic testing identified a mutation that made her eligible for a promising immunotherapy trial — but by the time all the pieces came together, she was no longer well enough to enroll. ABAP exists so that other Atlantic families don’t lose that window. The science is moving fast. Our systems need to keep up.”
— Christopher Cutler, Founder & Executive Director, The Heather Cutler Foundation
ABAP is supported by HCF’s newly formed Medical Advisory Committee, comprising oncologists, researchers, nurses, and patient advisors from across Atlantic Canada. The committee provides clinical oversight, program design input, and ensures ABAP reflects the real-world needs of patients and care teams in the region.
Corporate and community sponsorship opportunities are available for organizations committed to advancing equitable access to precision oncology in Atlantic Canada. Sponsors will be recognized as direct contributors to patient outcomes, with impact reporting provided. Interested organizations are encouraged to contact HCF directly.
HCF is actively seeking partnerships with healthcare institutions, oncology networks, and national patient organizations to expand ABAP’s reach and ensure no Atlantic patient loses their diagnostic window due to access barriers.
About The Heather Cutler Foundation
The Heather Cutler Foundation (CRA Registered Charity No. 743014227 RR 0001) is an Atlantic Canadian charity founded in memory of Heather Cutler, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022. HCF’s mission is to improve outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients in Atlantic Canada through awareness, direct patient support, biomarker access, and advocacy. HCF is headquartered in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Media Contact
Christopher Cutler
Founder & Executive Director
The Heather Cutler Foundation
heathercutler.ca
