'We will conquer cancer in our lifetime': Cancer patient finds hope in advanced precision medicine

Thanks to new advancements in precision medicine, patients with advanced-stage cancers now have a better chance than ever before at surviving, experts say.

Jenny Young stood at the podium, before a backdrop of pinhole lights that resembled a sky full of stars.

“Many, many people have told me that I am a walking miracle,” Young said into the microphone, to an audience of donors, philanthropists and cancer survivors like herself.

It was the evening of Oct. 21, at the One Life Gala, a fundraiser event in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, in Toronto’s Royal York Hotel.

“What people must understand is that this is no miracle. I am here because of innovative discoveries and cancer breakthroughs,” she said.

Young’s story began in 2019, when she was basking in the glow of her honeymoon, travelling the world, oblivious to a deadly cancer growing inside her.

“It all started when my vision blurred really quickly,” she told CTVNews.ca.

Young, 41 at the time, was touring Egypt, Maldives, and Dubai with her husband. At first, she attributed her deteriorating eyesight to post-wedding exhaustion. Jet lag had taken a toll, she figured. But, as her symptoms progressed, and her tiredness remained, she began to expect something else was happening in her body.