About Us

Lung Cancer Canada is a registered national charity (#872775119  RR0001) that serves as Canada’s leading resource for lung cancer education, patient support, research and advocacy. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Lung Cancer Canada has a wide reach that includes both regional and pan-Canadian initiatives. Lung Cancer Canada is a member of the Global Lung Cancer Coalition and is the only organization in Canada focused exclusively on lung cancer. 

Founded in 2002 by Dr. Yee Ung (a radiation oncologist), Magdalene Winterhoff (an oncology social worker), and Ralph Gouda (who lost his wife to lung cancer), Lung Cancer Canada includes an active board of directors and volunteer base, lung cancer nurses’ network, and a distinguished medical advisory network made up of medical and radiation oncologists, thoracic surgeons, and respirologists focused on lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Canada was founded as a response to the observation that lung cancer’s broad scope and devastating impact too often go unrecognized among Canadians. Historically lung cancer has received scant public attention in Canada, despite the fact that lung cancer is the nation’s number one cancer killer and will afflict one out of every twelve Canadians over the course of a lifetime. The attention paid to lung cancer is scarce in part because of its low survival rate, which drastically diminishes the voice of those affected, and in part because of the relationship between lung cancer and smoking, which has unfairly stigmatized lung cancer patients. But Canadians cannot afford to keep ignoring this deadly disease.

Lung Cancer Canada’s mission is three-fold: 
1) to increase public awareness of lung cancer, 
2) to support and advocate for lung cancer patients and their families, and 
3) to provide educational resources to patients, family members, healthcare professionals, and the general public. 

Lung Cancer Canada also offers a variety of resources to educate and support patients and their families. These include: 1) our website, which serves as a trustworthy and timely source of lung cancer information and news; 2) our newsletter, Lung Cancer Connection, which explores topics of interest to the entire lung cancer community; 3) our Resource Library, which allows patients and their families to access specialized information; and 4) our social media presence, as well as the discussion forums and patient stories on our website, which offer lung cancer patients and families the opportunity to connect and offer support to one another.

Our Staff