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Medical Firsts
Many medical firsts at Princess Margaret Hospital have enhanced our international reputation as a leader in the fight against cancer.
Did you know…
- PMH is one of the largest bone marrow transplant facilities in the world.
- PMH researchers Drs. Ernest McCulloch and James Till first identified the stem cell, a discovery that formed the basis of all current stem cell research.
- PMH's Dr. Vera Peters first advocated the combination of radiation treatment and breast conserving surgery for women with early stage breast cancer.
- First research to determine that Hodgkin's disease can be cured by radiation therapy was at PMH, boosting the cure rate to 75% from 25%.
- The invention of the Cobalt machine, the root technology for many radiation therapy machines still in-use today, was developed by PMH's Dr. Harold Johns.
- The design and development of The Hemitron, a machine used to deliver full and half-body radiation was created at PMH.
- The world's first ultrasound device capable of producing images of the human eye at microscopic resolution was developed at PMH.
- PMH ranks among the top centres internationally for bone marrow transplants, and has some of the longest surviving bone marrow transplant recipients world-wide.
- PMH’s bone marrow transplant unit, established in 1971, was the first in Canada to perform allogeneic transplants – transplants between unrelated donors.
- For the first time in Canada, PMH doctors used a robot arm (robotic laparoscopic technology) to perform prostate surgery.
- PMH is the first hospital to use digital mammography – an x-ray machine that takes a digital image of the breast – enabling earlier diagnosis of breast cancer with less radiation exposure.
- PMH researchers discovered the T-cell receptor, described as the “holy grail” of immunology.
- PTEN gene, whose mutation is linked to several cancers including brain, ovarian, breast, prostate, thyroid and skin, was discovered by PMH researchers.
- PMH staff developed an innovative way to determine whether a given cancer treatment works within hours of the first treatment, leaving critical time to adjust for improved results.
- PMH researchers used toxin to rid bone marrow of cancer cells – leading future research into improved treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma and breast cancer.
- A molecule that regulates movement of white blood cells was discovered in a PMH lab.
- PMH researchers discovered that inflammation can trigger the body’s T-cell in crippling bone and cartilage deterioration – characteristic of arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
- PMH’s Patient Education CD-ROM series – recognized across North America for translating complex medical info into layman’s terms - for patients, families and physicians.
- Cellular fuel that powers the growth of Hodgkin’s disease was unraveled by PMH researchers.
- PMH is a world leader in imaging and radiation therapy that enables more precise and targeted radiation to be applied to tumours.
- PMH discovered the CD45 gene – the off switch for several disease signals including cancer, heart disease and auto-immune diseases.
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