CCTG Patient Representative Jill Hamer-Wilson recently passed away from Lung Cancer in November 2022. Jill was a vocal advocate for clinical trials and lung cancer research as well as a valued member of the CCTG Lung Cancer Committee.

Jill was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung in 2013 then went through several lines of treatment that included access to a clinical trial she credits for extending her life long enough for more drug treatments to become available.

Jill dedicated much of her time and energy, to becoming a widely recognized and respected cancer research advocate. Internationally, she spoke at the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, she worked with International Society for the Study of Lung Cancer, the American Association for Cancer Research, Lung Cancer Canada, the Canadian Cancer Survivors' Network, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and the Ottawa Hospital. Jill was a member of The Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network (3CTN) Patient Representative Sub-Committee, worked with the Canadian Cancer Society, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research Patient and Family Advisory Council and The White Ribbon Project.

We are grateful that she has used her voice to raise funds and awareness for clinical trials, in advancing cancer prevention, care, survivorship and patient quality of life. She always spoke of how grateful she was to the research community for having extended her life, to be able to see her children grow, and the apple tree they planted have several seasons of apples.  Her assertion that “research matters” will endure and Jill will be greatly missed by those supporting lung cancer advocacy in Canada.

“Research matters because it is giving us longer and better lives. I and my family and friends are very grateful. It is important for me to be a voice of lung cancer because it deserves to be heard. The patient and survivor voice are critical in the development of clinical trials because the Canadian Cancer Trials Group wants to have the very best clinical trials possible to offer, both in terms of patient experience and for the research value. We cannot achieve our goal without the patient voice.” – Jill Hamer-Wilson

Our deepest sympathy to her friends and family. Obituary