Rix Family Foundation Helps Drive New Progress in Breast Cancer Recurrence Detection

What if a simple blood test could help reveal whether breast cancer has truly been left behind, or whether tiny traces of the disease still remain after treatment?

At BC Cancer, thanks to support from BC Cancer Foundation donors, researchers are working to answer that question earlier and more precisely than ever before, using a blood test to detect tiny fragments of cancer that could signal the chance of recurrence.

This work is now advancing even further ahead thanks to a longstanding partnership with the Rix Family Foundation, whose commitment to cancer research spans generations and continues to help push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Detecting cancer when it’s hardest to see

One of the biggest challenges in breast cancer care is determining whether the disease has truly been eliminated after treatment or whether tiny traces remain that could lead to recurrence. Researchers at BC Cancer are developing new tools to help answer that question earlier and more accurately.

This is particularly important for patients with aggressive forms of the disease, including triple-negative breast cancer, who face a higher risk of recurrence.

Today, BC Cancer scientists are refining the use of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) to help identify which patients may need additional treatment after surgery and therapy, and which may be cancer‑free.

What is ctDNA? ctDNA is trace genetic material from cancer cells that can linger in the bloodstream, acting as an early signal that cancer activity may still be present.

Led by Dr. Sam Aparicio, Distinguished Scientist at BC Cancer, the research team has introduced a novel approach that goes beyond traditional genetic analysis. By reading previously hidden chemical modifications in DNA — sometimes described as the “dark genome” — researchers can create highly specific “fingerprints” of tumour DNA in blood samples, significantly improving the sensitivity of cancer detection.

These advances lay important groundwork for future tools that could help clinicians monitor residual disease more accurately and personalize follow‑up care for patients at highest risk.

A partnership rooted in precision medicine

This focus on precision is deeply aligned with the Rix family’s legacy at BC Cancer.

The family’s connection to genomics and personalized approaches to medicine dates back to Dr. Donald Rix, Laurie Rix’s late father, who made medical history as the first patient in the world to receive a treatment based on the genomic makeup of his cancer. His experience helped spark an enduring belief in research that challenges convention and accelerates progress.

That belief has carried forward through the Rix Family Foundation, which supports BC Cancer’s work across personalized oncology, early detection and breast cancer research, including male breast cancer. For Laurie Rix, this commitment is personal. Her late husband, sports broadcaster Neil Macrae, was diagnosed with male breast cancer, deepening her family’s connection to this area of research.

Over time, the family’s philanthropy has helped enable sustained, high‑impact research. The kind of research that requires long‑term commitment, specialized expertise, and the willingness to invest before outcomes are fully known. That commitment has helped accelerate advances in breast cancer research that are improving how the disease is monitored and treated, contributing to better outcomes and longer lives for patients in B.C. and beyond.

Continuing to invest in what comes next

Most recently, the Rix Family Foundation made a significant donation towards new research to advance early detection and residual disease monitoring using ctDNA and advanced sequencing. Spearheaded by Dr. Aparicio, this work aims to improve outcomes for patients facing aggressive forms of breast cancers, including triple‑negative.

Over the family’s decades-long partnership with BC Cancer and the BC Cancer Foundation, the Rix family has invested almost $12 million to change how cancer is understood, treated and detected.

Accelerating progress from the lab to patients

For researchers at BC Cancer, donor support makes it possible to pursue complex, long‑range questions — such as how to determine who truly benefits from advanced testing, and how to translate molecular discoveries into meaningful clinical insight.

For patients, that work represents hope for a future with greater clarity, fewer unknowns, and care that is increasingly guided by the unique biology of their disease.

And for the Rix family, it is a continuation of a legacy rooted in personal experience, scientific curiosity and a deep belief that research done here in B.C. can change cancer outcomes around the world.

Original publication September 17, 2026, BC Cancer Foundation