Changing the Narrative: Calgary’s Leap into Sarcoma Innovation
When Dr. Michael Monument returned to his hometown of Calgary in 2014 after a fellowship at the University of Utah, colleagues warned that the city might not be a natural home for sarcoma research. Sarcoma—an often rare cancer that targets bone and soft tissues and frequently affects younger patients—wasn’t a formal research specialty at the University of Calgary at the time. Yet Monument was determined to rewrite that narrative. Through the support of grants, donors, and a shared vision, he built and now leads the Integrated Sarcoma Research Program (iSARP), a multidisciplinary hub where clinical care, research, and education converge to advance treatment for sarcoma.
Today, iSARP is a multidisciplinary, team-based centre of excellence with more than 40 clinicians, scientists, and researchers collaborating across specialties. The program’s core mission is to discover and translate new therapies—from bench to bedside—that can improve outcomes for patients whose life expectancy and quality of life have historically been compromised by the disease.
From Surgery-First to Precision Oncology
Sarcoma treatment has long hinged on surgical intervention, often alongside chemotherapy. Yet chemotherapy is not universally effective against sarcoma, and surgery can dramatically alter a patient’s quality of life. Monument emphasizes that success in the lab must translate into better options in the clinic. “These are the early necessary steps to develop a precision oncology program,” he says, noting that modern sequencing creates a patient-specific “molecular fingerprint” that helps identify targeted therapies with a higher likelihood of success.
To achieve this, iSARP combines mice models and genomic sequencing to map the biology of individual tumors. This approach enables researchers to test how a tumor might respond to particular drugs before they are offered in the clinic, reducing trial-and-error in treatment selection and potentially sparing patients from ineffective therapies.
Strategic Giving: The Fuel for a Growing Program
Monument frames iSARP’s evolution as a story of strategic philanthropy. Grants from organizations such as the Alberta Cancer Foundation provided the crucial infrastructure that allowed the program to grow beyond its initial clinical focus. Donors, including industry friend-raisers such as Ron Daye of Rangeland Engineering and Rob Pearson, helped turn a promising idea into a sustainable ecosystem for discovery and patient care.
“In 2014, our sarcoma program was all clinicians,” Monument recalls. “Fast forward to 2025. We have expanded the clinical program and grown a sarcoma-focused research program, including PhD scientists, highly qualified personnel and research students.” This expansion—from a team of 10 clinicians to more than 40 multidisciplinary members—would not have been possible without the Alberta Cancer Foundation and its network of generous supporters.
Looking Ahead: Trials, Partnerships, and Patient Hope
As iSARP advances, the team is identifying candidate therapies that hold promise for clinical trials and potential partnerships with pharmaceutical companies. The goal is clear: to move from surgeries as the mainstay of treatment to a future in which systemic therapies—guided by precise genetic and molecular insights—offer real hope and longer, better lives for people affected by sarcoma.
Monument is optimistic about what Calgary’s turning point represents. “We’ve really grown this program in the span of a decade,” he says. “We’ve gone from a very small centre of good clinical sarcoma care to one that’s integrated care with cutting-edge research, education and training.” The Calgary story, he argues, shows that a city can become a national leader when philanthropy and science collaborate with a shared purpose.
What This Means for Patients and the Future
For patients, the implication is practical and hopeful: as iSARP accelerates the identification of effective drugs, those therapies become more accessible through clinical trials and collaborations with the pharmaceutical sector. The program’s growth signals a future where treatment decisions for sarcoma are increasingly guided by a patient’s unique molecular profile rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
In Calgary—and beyond—the narrative has shifted from limitation to possibility. iSARP is not just a place for care; it is a dynamic engine for discovery, training the next generation of researchers, and delivering tangible benefits to patients who face a difficult diagnosis with courage and resilience.
