The first in our multi-part series explores why clinical trials are important for cancer research and patients.

Clinical trials are the bridge between leading edge cancer research and clinical care, yet only a fraction of Canadian cancer patients participate in a trial. The result is that many trials struggle to recruit enough participants while others close prematurely, delaying or failing to provide answers to the research questions they are designed to investigate.

The reasons for low participation in clinical trial are complex, and OICR is leading efforts to overcome them. One of the biggest barriers to participation is lack of awareness, and that’s why it’s so important to get patients, family members, clinicians and scientists talking about clinical trials.

With that in mind, OICR News is launching the Let’s talk about clinical trials series, where we ask clinical trials experts about why trials are important, how participant safety is protected, and what it’s like to participate in a trial.

In the first instalment of our series, we talked to Stephen Sundquist, Executive Director of 3CTN, the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network, which seeks to improve the efficiency of academic cancer clinical trials across Canada and ensure they can be accessed equitably.

To start, can you talk about why clinical trials are important for cancer research and care?

Clinical trials represent a critical step in the clinical translation pathway, testing the safety and effectiveness of new discoveries in cancer prevention, detection and treatment. Trial outcomes advance our understanding of how these innovations perform “at the bedside” and contribute to improvements in standards of care for cancer patients.

How do cancer patients benefit from participating in a trial?

Cancer patients considering participating in a clinical trial receive comprehensive information about their disease and the potential risks and benefits associated with available treatment options. If they ultimately participate in the trial, they may receive the intervention being tested, which has the potential to improve their overall survival and/or quality of life.

All clinical trial participants also benefit form added health surveillance and monitoring built into study procedures – including assessments and diagnostic testing – to monitor their disease progression, response to interventions being tested, and other measures designed to ensure patient safety.

What is 3CTN doing to improve cancer clinical trials in Canada?

Our pan-Canadian Network is comprised of more than 240 clinical research professionals as well as patient partners from more than 60 cancer centres across eight provinces. 3CTN members work collaboratively on strategic priorities for improving the efficiency, quality and impact of academic cancer clinical trials.

That means helping ensure new trials can be accessed through multiple cancer centres and supporting those centres to adopt best practices for improving the speed with which those trials are made available to patients. It also means raising awareness about trials and helping improve recruitment to ensure cancer patients have equitable access.

For example, one of our most exciting initiatives has been to steer the development of a decentralized clinical trial framework called CRAFT, which supports cancer centres to conduct trials involving satellite healthcare centres located closer to a patient’s home. Traditionally, trial participation for those living in rural and remote communities necessitates travel to a cancer centre in an urban centre, which may be located far from home or even out of province. Not surprisingly, many patients choose not to participate at all because of the added time and effort required. With CRAFT, we’re leveling the playing field by offering cancer patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials no matter where they live.

What else would you like people to know about clinical trials?

The development and conduct of a clinical trial is a highly-regulated process that involves a huge collective effort on the part of study sponsors, clinical research professionals, regulators, ethics review boards, and others working to assure trials are conducted to the highest standards for assuring patient safety and potential benefit.

My hope is that every patient will ask their healthcare team about clinical trials. Though not everyone will be a fit for a clinical trial, the option of participating in a trial should always be part of care discussions.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our series, which will focus on the systems and structures in place to make sure clinical trials are safe for participants.