Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 20, 2014
• Invested on: May 13, 2016

For his contributions to the treatment of prostate cancer, notably for leading the adoption of active surveillance as a standard aspect of patient care.

Laurence Klotz has expanded the treatment options for early-stage prostate cancer. He is a professor at the University of Toronto, the former chief of urology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and the chair of the World Urologic Oncology Federation. Over the course of two decades, he challenged conventional practice and demonstrated that, in cases of low-risk prostate cancer, careful monitoring and only the most necessary of interventions save many men from unnecessary surgery and its related complications. This approach, known as active surveillance, has become a cornerstone of care in clinical centres around the world.