Brock awarded $100,000 to develop a survivorship resource model for people with metastatic breast cancer
Brock University secured $100,000 from Breast Cancer Canada and AstraZeneca Canada to fund a project led by Assistant Professor Amina Silva (Nursing), co‑led by Jacqueline Galica (Queen’s). The team will build and validate a survivorship resource model for metastatic breast cancer using AI analysis of tens of thousands of public posts and a 30‑member panel of patients and clinicians.
The project will produce clinical tools — needs assessment guides, care planning templates, symptom‑management protocols and referral pathways — aimed at oncology teams and nurse‑led care. Researchers will apply AI in English and French to analyze tens of thousands of online forum posts to capture patient‑expressed needs, then compare findings with established survivorship need domains. A 30‑person panel (15 people living with MBC; 15 oncology nurses, nurse practitioners and oncologists) will rate draft tools for clarity and relevance. The team intends to pilot the model at three or more Canadian cancer centres pending further funding.
Read the original story · Brock University — https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2026/11/research-aims-to-rethink-survivorship-for-metastatic-breast-cancer-patients/