Clinical trials

A clinical trial is a scientific research study using human volunteers that is intended to investigate new ways to prevent, diagnose, treat or manage a disease. In a clinical trial, the new approach under study is compared with the current practice to see if there is a difference in outcomes. Participation in a clinical trial is a potential treatment option for patients with mesothelioma.   However, because there are specific criteria for admission into a clinical trial, not every clinical trial is necessarily appropriate for all patients with mesothelioma. Some are designed for newly diagnosed, limited disease, whereas others might be for patients with more advanced disease or for those who have already been treated.

There are a number of ongoing clinical trials targeting mesothelioma in North America.  Information on these trials and how to take part is available on the following portals and websites. Please note: this section of the site contains links to third-party websites maintained by other organizations. The CMF has provided these links for your convenience and not as an endorsement of the information contained therein.

 

Website portals to clinical trials in Canada

  • Canadian Cancer Trials: The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer has partnered with agencies across Canada to create the Canadian Cancer Trials website. This website is a bilingual resource designed to help patients and their caregivers find clinical trials in Canada. You can search for a trial (by cancer type, by province, by city or town, by clinical trial centre, by drug, or by other keyword) or you can sign up for trial alerts that will notify you by e-mail when a new trial for a selected type of cancer or location becomes available.
  • Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG): The CCTG is a cooperative oncology group which carries out clinical trials in cancer therapy, supportive care and prevention across Canada and internationally. It is one of the national programmes and networks of the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute (CCSRI) and is the only non-American partner of the US National Clinical Trials Network. You can search for a CCTG clinical trial by cancer type.
  • Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network (3CTN): The 3CTN is a pan-Canadian initiative whose mission is to improve the efficiency and quality of clinical trials in Canada. 3CTN supports a portfolio of academic clinical trials that reflect the priorities of clinicians, researchers, patients, ministries of health and funders. You can search for information on clinical trials by disease area, disease site and other fields in the 3CTN portfolio.
  • Lung Cancer Canada: Lung Cancer Canada is a national charitable organization, which serves as a resource for lung cancer education, patient support, research and advocacy. Its website provides general information on clinical trials (what they are, their risks and benefits, phases and types of clinical trials, informed consent, and useful links), as well as lists of mesothelioma clinical trials that are underway and/or recruiting patients.

 

Links to clinical trials in Canada, by province

 

United States

  • US National Library of Medicine Clinical Trials Database: The National Library of Medicine at the US National Institutes of Health maintains an online resource that provides public access to information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies in 50 states and 210 countries on a wide range of diseases and conditions. Patients and families can search for actively recruiting studies that they may be able to participate in or learn about new interventions/treatments that are being considered. Researchers and healthcare professionals can search the database to stay up to date on developments in their field, to find collaborators, and to identify research and treatment gaps.
  • US National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN): The NCCN is a not-for-profit alliance of 28 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. You can search their website for clinical trials by cancer type or by NCCN member institution.
  • US National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI is the US federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training. Part of its mandate is to coordinate and support all phases of clinical trials seeking the development of new and improved cancer treatments across 2,500 clinical trial sites in the United States and Canada. NCI-supported trials include trials that are part of NCI’s national networks, such as National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), and Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN). You can search for information on NCI-supported clinical trials via a basic search or an advanced search function.

 

United Kingdom

  • Cancer  Research UK Clinical Trials Database: Cancer Research UK maintains an online resource that provides public access to information on clinical trials in the UK that are funded by a wide range of organizations. You can search their database by cancer type, drug name, trial name, or choose from a list of cancer types. This website also has a lot of information about what clinical trials are, how to join a clinical trial, what researchers should tell you before you join a clinical trial, what to ask your doctor, how clinical trials are funded, and what happens after a clinical trial is completed.