Stuart Selby

In my 50s, married to a wonderful husband, living with incurable brain cancer. Pharma, Pun and Food geek. Brain Cancer Canada ambassador.

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

RT @braincancercan: Tickets are selling fast. Don't miss your opportunity to attend Canada’s most impactful night for brain cancer research…

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

This is huge news, and I hope a bold step for our other provinces and territories to soon follow 🧠❤️🩶

[Brain Cancer Canada @braincancercan]

Advancements in brain cancer treatment options shouldn’t be rare. Ontario proves it by becoming the first province in the country to publicly fund VORANIGO® (vorasidenib).

VORANIGO® was approved by Health Canada in 2024 for the treatment of Grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma with a susceptible isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) IDH1 or IDH2 mutation.

Now through Ontario’s Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments (FAST) program under the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases, it will be publicly reimbursed. This marks an Ontario-first, for public funding of this therapy, signaling a meaningful shift in Canada’s approach to supporting underserved patient populations like the brain cancer community.

Angela Scalisi, Chair of Brain Cancer Canada, shares:

“Thirteen years ago, when my brother was diagnosed with a low-grade IDH1–mutant astrocytoma, a targeted therapy like VORANIGO® simply did not exist. When this treatment began showing promise, our family and his care team did everything possible to try to access it for him. Unfortunately, it did not come in time, a harsh reality far too many families know.

While it is painful to know my brother never had the opportunity, I am deeply grateful that others now will. This funding decision means families facing this diagnosis today have an option that did not exist for us. That is progress and proof advocacy works. This is also how we turn loss into legacy, by fighting for the next family, making sure they have more hope than the last.”

On January 22, the FAST program announced its first six treatments approved for funding. The addition of vorasidenib to the initial list builds on that momentum and reinforces the power of policy working the way it was intended to. Ontario’s leadership proves that when research, advocacy, and policy align, change happens.

The work of patient organizations, including national partners like CORD (@raredisorders) and CRDN, helped shape the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases that made this possible.

As a targeted therapy, this milestone also demonstrates how foundational #research can lead to innovative, more precise treatments, and offers hope that access to tomorrow’s safe and effective therapies may come with fewer delays.

It highlights how companies like @Servier Canada can successfully navigate new funding pathways, encouraging others to follow when bringing forward future innovations.

Brain Cancer Canada hopes other provinces and territories will move quickly to approve funding for this treatment, and by so doing, increasing equitable access for patients across Canada.

#braincancer #braintumour #gliomas #ontario #ServierCanada

[Brain Cancer Canada @braincancercan]

Dear Community,

This May, during Brain Cancer Awareness Month, the brain cancer community will gather in support of a shared purpose: to bring hope to those affected by brain cancer and to advance the research that can change lives.

The most common brain cancer, glioblastoma (GBM), remains among the deadliest forms of cancer, with survival still measured in months, not years. The level of research investment in brain cancer, past and present, has simply not matched the scale of urgency. For families facing this diagnosis and other aggressive brain cancers, the stakes could not be higher.

The Gala for Brain Cancer Research is where we draw the line against underfunding, inaction, and lives cut short due to a lack of research.  By supporting our biggest fundraising event of the year, you are directly fueling progress in the fight against brain cancer.

Your generosity helps fund groundbreaking research, provides critical resources for patients and families, and accelerates the development of new treatments.

We see what is possible through the remarkable progress made in treating other cancers, thanks to research. Once the leading cause of cancer-related death in children, leukemia survival rates have dramatically improved thanks to decades of dedicated research.

As leukemia survival improves, brain cancer survival has made no progress (yet), making it the leading cause of cancer-related death in children and young adults under 40. Brain cancer is a disease for which patients have never been given the same chance at survival as those facing better-funded cancers.

To change this, we must invest.

Every gala ticket, every sponsorship, and every act of partnership brings us closer to a world where a brain cancer diagnosis no longer means a death sentence.

Click the link below to see what is included in each ticket:
https://t.co/oaLxpMs1pt

To our corporate partners, looking to make a direct, measurable impact, I invite you to explore our Sponsorship Package to discover the many ways to support this critical cause, and understand why this work matters so deeply.

Click the link below to explore sponsorships: https://t.co/VIWyWiNfNk

On a final and personal note, the 2026 Gala for Brain Cancer Research will be the first without my brother, who passed away last January at 37 years old. He loved this gala and was a passionate ambassador, especially in its early years. His courage, strength, and memory, along with those who fought before him and those fighting now, continue to inspire every-thing we do at Brain Cancer Canada.

It is this inspiration that sharpens our resolve: We will push research further and faster, to save lives, because people diagnosed with brain cancer deserve better.

I hope to see you in May,

Angela Scalisi
Chair

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

I'm excited to join exceptional clinicians and researchers at an @icrf_toronto Health Series to share a patient perspective in Brain Cancer and its treatment. It's in Toronto on February 25th, get your ticket to join us for an informative evening!

https://t.co/VzYrRXqfmU

[Brain Cancer Canada @braincancercan]

Day 5 of Hope🕊
Submitted By: Stuart Selby, BCC Scientific Advisory Committee & 22 Year Canadian Pharmaceutical Professional

“Living with brain cancer has come with challenges, but I have found and now share a message of hope with others on this journey. Before my diagnosis, I had worked for 22 years in a Canadian Pharmaceutical company and understood how innovation in many health areas was already transforming lives. My diagnosis led me to learn more about progress in brain cancer research and to join Brain Cancer Canada and the Scientific Advisory Committee.

Remarkable advances have emerged in just the last decade or two - like a new targeted medicine that works by both activating enzymes and blocking receptors, with potential to bring hope for children and young adults fighting diffuse midline glioma. An exciting new family of molecules can block mutated IDH, which research has taught us drives some low-grade brain cancers. Other researchers are developing promising therapies that might use our own immune systems to target brain cancer cells, discovering new biochemical pathways we might explore further, building the use of focused ultrasound to deliver drugs directly to brain tumours, enhancing surgical technology, and more.

Through Brain Cancer Canada’s Scientific Advisory Committee, we see Canadian researchers at the forefront of new discoveries which give me confidence that we are moving in the right direction.

Every day, scientists and clinicians are learning more and working tirelessly, and I believe deeply that these breakthroughs are just the beginning. Together, we can look forward to a future where brain cancer is not just treatable but is beatable.”

@StupertInTO

#12DaysofHope #Stuart #Warrior #BrainTumour #BrainCancer

Photo Credit: @patientvoiceca

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

Not only did I find an amazing community in #BTSM (brain tumor social media), I was welcomed with open arms and remain energized even though our scheduled chats are done. Lets still use the hashtag to connect and share updates. Thank you to all who built our community.

[#BTSM chat @BTSMchat]

Friends,
it's been a pleasure! We are incredibly grateful for what we have started + the community we have created, but it's time to say goodbye to our regularly scheduled chats. Please read our letter below.
With love and gratitude, the #BTSM chat co-founder and organizer team

[Brain Cancer Canada @braincancercan]

This #InternationalBrainTumourAwarenessWeek, we want to take a moment to recognize everyone affected by all types of brain tumours.

Arguably the most delicate and intricate organ in the body, the brain is responsible for controlling thought, movement, sensation, and emotion, making any tumour profoundly impactful and life-altering.

At @braincancercan, our mission focuses on funding research and innovation for cancerous brain tumours, but that doesn’t mean we overlook the impact and seriousness of non-cancerous brain tumours. We know firsthand how devastating any brain tumour diagnosis can be - the fear, uncertainty, and life-altering changes that come with it.

While our research focuses on some of the most lethal and aggressive brain tumours, with survival often limited to just a few months, many of the projects funded by Brain Cancer Canada also have crossover benefits, generating insights, technologies, and treatment approaches that can improve understanding and care for other types of brain tumours. This interconnected approach helps advance the science across the full spectrum of diagnoses, ensuring that progress in one area can benefit patients everywhere.

At Brain Cancer Canada, we believe every person facing a brain tumour deserves hope, care, and a voice.

#InternationalBrainTumourAwarenessWeek

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

Today is Brain Cancer Awareness Day. Every day, 9 Canadians are told they have brain cancer. We need dedicated research to give doctors better tools to save lives. I stand with @braincancercan to drive research, to give more time, hope, & one day, the promise of a cure.

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

Happy to have received the email with event info for next week's 5th annual #HealtheMatters conference and I look forward to three inspiring days with the @health_eMatters team and everyone else attending , this should be great!

[Brain Cancer Canada @braincancercan]

🗓Mark Your Calendars! October 24 is Brain Cancer Awareness Day.

Join us as we come together to honour all those affected by brain cancer: Survivors, caregivers, and loved ones who show extraordinary courage and resilience every day💜; the doctors and researchers dedicated to finding a cure🥼🔬; and those no longer with us whose memory continues to inspire hope and action.🕊

Brain Cancer Awareness Day is more than a date on the calendar: It’s a call to action.

👉 Brain cancer remains one of the most underfunded and least understood forms of cancer, yet it is one of the deadliest.

👉 Progress is possible, but only through research, innovation, and collaboration.

👉 By raising awareness and supporting ongoing research, we can accelerate groundbreaking studies, develop more effective and less invasive treatments, and ultimately improve both survival rates and quality of life for patients and their families.

Every contribution - whether it’s your time, voice, advocacy, or donation - brings us one step closer to a future where brain cancer is no longer a devastating diagnosis.

This October 24, help us raise awareness. One voice, one action, one day at a time – we WILL rewrite the story of brain cancer!

#BrainCancerAwarenessDay #BrainCancerCanada

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

Ten years of building knowledge and driving research to learn the secrets of low grade gliomas is a milestone worth celebrating! Congratulations, and THANK YOU to @gliomaregistry 👏🥳🧠🎉🎂 #btsm

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

@healthing_ca Adding: I'm both inspired by and profoundly thankful for the dedication, exceptional care, and guidance from @DrMDCusimano, @gliomadoc, and care teams at St. Michael's / @UnityHealthTO and @Sunnybrook Odette who made sure I'm here to share this story. Thank you!!! ❤️🧠🧠 #BTSM

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

Thanks, Angelica (and @healthing_ca ) for the recent interview and for creating this piece to share my story more widely. I'm mindful that this is published on #WorldBrainDay2025 , and glad to have had the chance to share with others! #BTSM

[Healthing.ca @healthing_ca]

Living with brain cancer: 'It’s given me more compassion for people and their own experiences' https://t.co/8AUyRhVMsa

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

@BTSMchat Thanks, everyone, for being here today. It's always nice to know we're all out there, and to connect through these chats. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the evening, and the week ahead! #btsm

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

@BTSMchat A4. I'm energized by people I meet along the way. Living with #braincancer is a tough way to meet amazing people, but it's worth it! I'm only about a year into my advocacy path but I keep learning and growing along the way; my advice is to keep at it and grow as we go #BTSM

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

@BTSMchat A3. ctd. I'm encouraged also by the UK Rare Cancers Bill just passed 3rd reading, and the push from @BrainTumourOrg for moving this through @UKParliament, initiatives like this can drive sustainable change! #BTSM

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

@BTSMchat A3. There's much we can learn from different organizations, where we grow ideas to fit our local needs while collaborating and sharing internationally. We don't have a Head To The Hill in Canada (like @NBTStweets organizes) but it's a great approach! #BTSM

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

@michele_502 @BTSMchat Joining research and groups like these are great ways of staying connected and helping both ourselves and others! 😀 #BTSM

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

@BTSMchat A2 I see a gap in #braintumor and #braincancer research funding; foundational research can find game-changing discoveries that will better tomorrow's outcomes. By advocating for funding, both public/government, and private, we can make a lasting impact for the future! #BTSM

[Stuart Selby @StupertInTO]

@BTSMchat A1. Thinking about how my focus is evolving, I'm pushing to learn more about what others are doing, what we can learn from others to share locally and enhance our future by advocating for positive changes. There's a lot to learn, but I have hope! #BTSM