Clinical trials are the key to moving cancer care forward.
By Mireille Farkouh
So much has changed in cancer care in the last 30, 20 and even five years. That’s because research and cancer clinical trials continually identify and determine if new treatments, such as drugs, therapies or medical innovations, are safe and effective and can become the standard of care for people facing cancer. Researchers study better ways to detect cancer, new combinations of existing treatments, ways to prevent cancer from returning and how to improve patient care overall. Without clinical trials, many of the treatments in use today would not exist.
In 2024: 972 patients participated in a cancer clinical trial, 72 new clinical trials opened and 221 clinical trials were active in Alberta.
While advancements in cancer care have improved survival rates and quality of life for many, there are still cancers that remain difficult to treat and side effects of current therapies can be unbearable. That is why cancer research and clinical trials remain critical.
Even when clinical trials don’t lead to immediate results, they provide valuable insights that benefit future patients. Cancer clinical trials offer hope to those with no other options, granting access to innovative therapies that might not be otherwise accessible.
Clinical trials at the Cross Cancer Institute.
The Cross Cancer Institute (Cross) in Edmonton hosts many of Alberta’s clinical trials. In fact, last year alone, the Cross ran more than 100 different clinical trials, each with the potential to change the future of cancer care.
Additionally, the Cross places more than 600 patients on new treatments being trialed each year. This recruitment is one of the highest per capita in Canada. Fourteen per cent of cancer patients treated at the Cross participate in a clinical trial, compared to the national average of about eight per cent.
Plus, a newly developed clinical trials unit is now open at the Cross, an important step in doubling the capacity for cancer clinical trials in Edmonton.
Alberta: a leader in clinical trials.
Some of the world’s best and brightest are exploring uncharted territories in cancer treatment and care, right here in Alberta. With donor support for research and clinical trials, Alberta leads the way in cancer clinical trial work in the country, and the Alberta Cancer Foundation supports every cancer clinical trial in the province.
As this vital work continues, there’s sure to be more made-in-Alberta solutions to cancer along with improved access to novel treatments in the province and beyond.
Learn more at albertacancerclinicaltrials.ca
