Cancer trials save lives. More patient involvement is crucial – Irish Cancer Society

Society backs Just Ask Your Doctor! public information campaign to raise awareness of cancer trials.

More patient involvement in cancer trials is crucial in our efforts to stop the disease and save lives, the Irish Cancer Society has said.

Ahead of International Clinical Trials Day (May 20), the Irish Cancer Society today lends its full support to Cancer Trials Ireland’s Just Ask Your Doctor! public information campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness of clinical trials and how they can benefit patients here in Ireland.

The Irish Cancer Society supports cancer trials in Ireland by:

• Providing crucial funds to Cancer Trials Ireland, which, over the past 20 years, has given more than 15,000 cancer patients in Ireland the opportunity to access new, potentially life-saving medicines and treatments. Cancer Trials Ireland is also supported by the Health Research Board.
• Funding BREAST-PREDICT, the Irish Cancer Society National Cancer Research Collaboration focussed on breast cancer. More than 2,500 patients have joined nine BREAST-PREDICT-affiliated clinical and translational studies across 13 Irish hospitals since its inception in 2013.
• Establishing, with Science Foundation Ireland, Blood Cancer Network Ireland (BCNI), a national collaborative research network that gives patients access to early phase clinical trials. Current BCNI trials involve patients with Multiple Myeloma and Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.
• Calling on the Government to ensure the National Cancer Strategy’s target of 6% of cancer patients enrolled onto clinical trials by 2020 is met.

Commenting on the campaign launch, Head of Research at the Irish Cancer Society, Dr Robert O’Connor, said:

“Clinical trials play a vital role in the cancer research process – all cancer treatments used today were once put through a patient trial.

“We now have more than 165,000 cancer survivors in Ireland. This simply would not be possible without cancer research and the thousands of patients who have willingly taken part in clinical trials.

“The continued generosity of the Irish public has allowed the Irish Cancer Society to invest in quality Irish cancer research. Such important research gives people with cancer and their families hope for better outcomes and a brighter future.

“To any patient who thinks they may benefit from their participation in a clinical trial, we encourage them to just ask their doctor. They should be able to talk you through the potential risks and benefits, and help you find out if there is a suitable trial for you.”

More information on the Just Ask Your Doctor! campaign can be found on cancertrials.ie. Members of the public can also contact the Irish Cancer Society’s Cancer Nurseline on Freephone 1800 200 700 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm).