From advanced diagnostics to leading-edge cancer treatment options, donor impact is being felt across Southlake Health.

Beginning in January 2026, patients in York Region and Simcoe County will soon save hours traveling downtown to received enhanced prostate cancer screening thanks to a new service at Southlake’s Regional Cancer Centre. Using the new PET-CT machine made possible through donations to Southlake Foundation’s HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match fundraising campaign, staff and physicians will soon offer Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Tomography (PSMA PET) imaging, which supports earlier detection of prostate cancer and enables more personalized treatment plans for patients.

Prostate cancer is one of the most diagnosed cancers among men in Ontario, with more than 9,000 new cases identified each year. While many cases are highly treatable when caught early, timely and precise imaging plays a critical role in achieving the best outcomes.

In its first two years of operation, the game-changing PET-CT technology (the first in York Region) has enabled clinical teams to complete over 5,500 studies for patients who otherwise would have needed to travel to downtown Toronto. Working together, Southlake’s Regional Cancer Centre and Diagnostic Imaging teams developed the PSMA PET program to expand the PET-CT use to significantly enhance prostate cancer diagnosis and staging for patients in the communities Southlake serves.

“The introduction of PSMA PET imaging at Southlake represents a significant advancement in prostate cancer care for our communities,” said Derek McNally, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Southlake Health and Regional Vice President, Cancer Program. “With this technology, our teams will be able to detect cancer earlier and with greater precision, both of which support better patient outcomes. We are proud to offer this advanced imaging closer to home.”