Published: October 26, 2009
Overview
The Systemic Therapy Clinical Trials Unit (STCTU) is responsible for conducting most of the clinical trials for the department of Medical Oncology at the Vancouver Island Centre. These clinical trials may include, but are not limited to, studies of new cancer therapies (i.e. new chemotherapies, biological agents or hormone therapies), new technologies (i.e. PET scanning), lifestyle and supportive care programs.
These trials may have been designed by local researchers; however, the majority are headed up by national and international cooperative groups such as the
Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute (CCSRI, previously the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC)),
National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP),
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG),
Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), and
Breast Cancer International Research Group (BCIRG), as well as pharmaceutical companies.
The first NCIC clinical trial to open at the Vancouver Island Centre was an ovarian cancer trial in 1980. Since that time more than 1,180 participants have been randomized to clinical trials involving all major tumour sites. At any one time the systemic therapy research unit usually has 8 to 12 open clinical trials that are actively accruing participants, and 20 to 30 closed trials that are still collecting data on previously enrolled participants.
Please see
Open Clinical Trials for a list of currently open trials being run through the STCTU.