Inaugural CURE, Canadian Edition Editor's Note: Hello, Canada!

WHEN WE STARTED TALKING about the idea of a magazine focused on cancer for Canadians more than a year ago, we had a vision.

As a patient and a caregiver, we had been living lives forever changed by blood cancer. We knew well the suffocating fear of a cancer diagnosis, the feelings of uncertainty that make it difficult to plan a future, and the devastating emotional impact that is felt long after that first visit to the cancer clinic. We had also been leading successful non-profit organizations, the Canadian MPN Network and the Canadian CML Network, each supporting a rare blood cancer and committed to ensuring that patients and families had what they needed to live well despite their disease.

Our own lived experience and work with patients and families have taught us three critical things: first, understanding your disease can mean the difference between living your best life and merely surviving; second, sharing authentic stories gives you power; and finally, people who understand your experience and can simply nod and say “I get it” hold the key to moving forward. We wanted to create a magazine that did all these things: educate, tell inspiring stories and help those whose lives have been changed by cancer find their community so that their future can look brighter.

That’s why we teamed up with CURE®, the largest cancer-focused consumer publication in the United States. An indispensable guide to every stage of the cancer experience, CURE Media Group has built a solid reputation for quality cancer information delivered with the patient in mind, covering everything from leading research and treatment news to mental and emotional wellness and advocacy issues. It also has been vital to giving patients and caregivers a voice. This successful combination of science and humanity has been empowering and inspiring people with cancer for more than 15 years. It’s an amazing accomplishment that we wanted Canadians to be a part of.

So here we are launching the first issue of CURE® designated specifically for Canadian patients, caregivers, advocates and healthcare professionals. This issue is a sneak peek into all that we have planned in the coming editions: articles featuring some of Canada’s best and brightest clinicians and researchers, lifestyle and wellness information to make the cancer experience a little bit easier and patient and caregiver voices sharing their important stories. We will also cover issues that are uniquely Canadian, such as the current pharmacare debate and the challenges of living in a fragmented system where your postal code often determines the quality of your health-care. And although this issue focuses on blood cancers, CURE®’s Canadian edition is about exploring the news, impact and challenges of all cancers, so stay tuned.

We are also passionate about advocacy and supporting the many Canadian groups that have made it their mission to improve life with cancer through treatment access, research funding, promoting supportive care and other initiatives. Their work is what drives our many health-care systems to be better. Hear these perspectives in the coming issues.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the expertise of CURE®’s solid editorial and design teams. We are so grateful, proud and excited to be a part of such a dynamic force in cancer care improvement and education.

We’d love to hear what you think. Have a story to share? Do it! You can reach us at editor_canada@curetoday.com.

Live well.

Lisa Machado, Content Editor, Canada and Cheryl Petruk, Director, Business Development, Canada