Clinical trials have played an enormous role in the dramatic improvements in childhood cancer cure rates that we have seen in the last 30 years. At any one time there may be 20+ clinical trials open for patient enrolment in our two paediatric oncology treatment centres.
These are run by large paediatric oncology consortiums such as the United States-based Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the European-based International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP), the Australia New Zealand Children’s Haematology Oncology Group (ANZCHOG), St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and other European trials groups. We also run a small number of industry-sponsored trials.
Our ongoing membership of international clinical trial groups offers direct benefits for our patients, including access to new treatment and advanced tumour testing and central review of response to therapy. In addition, New Zealand also contributes to a number of other international research projects such as tumour biology studies and registries for rarely diagnosed childhood cancers.
Click here for a list of clinical trials that are currently open in New Zealand (and have AYA eligibility).
For more information contact:
Sarah Hunter
Research Manager, Starship Blood and Cancer Centre