The truth about taking part in a cancer trial

As Irish doctors work on new treatments to help save lives...

IN the last few years the public’s knowledge of trials for different medical treatments has increased, not least because of the decision of some of the Cervical Check scandal victims including Vicky Phelan to travel abroad and take part in trials in the hope of gaining extra time with their families.

But did you know that trials also take place in Ireland? International Clinical Trials Day falls on May 20 and as part of the event, Cancer Trials Ireland will host a free webinar on clinical trials for members of the public.

The virtual event to promote public understanding of clinical trials is taking place as part of the Just Ask campaign. This initiative encourages patients to ask their doctors if there is a clinical trial suitable for them.

The webinar will feature a presentation from clinical trial expert, Professor Seamus O’Reilly, consultant medical oncologist, on how trials work and how to access them, while people who have taken part in previous trials will talk about their own experiences and what other patients might expect.

There isn’t a family in Ireland that has not

‘Trials look for ways to prevent, find and better treat cancer’

been touched by cancer. Around 25,000 people are diagnosed with invasive cancer here each year. In the past 20 years, 30,770 people have taken part in 786 cancer clinical trials.

According to Professor. Ray McDermott, consultant medical oncologist and clinical lead with Cancer Trials Ireland, patients taking part in cancer clinical trials can receive important care and monitoring of their disease.

‘Cancer trials look for new ways to prevent, find and better treat cancer,’ he says. ‘They can provide early access to drugs not otherwise available. They can help to improve the quality of life of people with cancer. They can save lives. With our Just Ask campaign, we are encouraging patients to ask their medical team if there is a clinical trial that may be suitable for, or relevant, to them.’

Some patients worry that taking part in a trial might detrimentally affect the outcome of their illness but there is no cancer clinical trial for a new therapy in which patients do not receive treatment. The ‘placebo’ part of a cancer trial ensures that the patient gets the best available cancer treatment, known as ‘standard of care’, against which the trial treatment is compared.

Also in Ireland, no new cancer medicines are tested for the first time on people or what are known as ‘first-in-human’ trials.

Rather, the cancer trials open here are very often ‘phase three’ trials that are at a more advanced stage in terms of therapy development. These trials involve medicines that are well understood, but which are now being delivered in a new way or dosage, or in combination with another therapy.

Any trial that opens in Ireland must first be approved by the regulator and by a National Research Ethics Committee to ensure that it meets the highest legal and scientific standards.

Information-sharing is a key part of the recruitment process in any clinical trial with medical teams providing comprehensive literature to patients and answering their questions as best as possible. And even after signing up, you are not ‘locked in’ for the duration of the trial. You can opt out at any time.

Apart from your clinical trial treatment, you will likely have to visit hospital more often for blood tests, scans and other tests. Your response to the trial therapy will be closely monitored by experienced cancer consultants and the nurse support team both during and after the trial.

For example, if you bump your knee playing with the kids, or get a headache listening to the garage band next door, your team will want to know. You’ll also have lots of opportunities to ask questions about the status of your condition, your progress and general well-being.

‘Patients should be reassured that, in taking part in a trial, they will receive even more care than they are currently,’ says Professor

McDermott. ‘They will see their team more often to check up on their progress and well-being.

‘Even when the trial is over, patients often continue to be monitored, sometimes for a number of years, which is very reassuring. Indeed, research has shown that the increased level of care provided to clinical trial patients, of itself, can contribute to better outcomes.

‘So, there is every reason to consider a clinical trial. It really will help us to unlock the answers to beating cancer.’

Subject to relevant exclusions based on medical history, if there is a clinical trial taking place here that is accepting new participants, then you can apply. There is no cost for treatment or tests in Ireland.

To find out more about cancer trials in Ireland, you can sign up for the webinar which takes place from 2pm to 3pm on May 20 and will be live streamed online. To register, email info@cancertrials.ie. You can also find out more by reading the Just Ask information booklet, supported by Pfizer, Roche, AbbVie, MSD, Novartis and Bayer which is available via cancertrials.ie, where you can also find a full list of cancer trials taking place in Ireland.

Alternatively, you can call the Irish Cancer Society Nurseline, Freephone 1800 200 700.