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WHAT ARE CLINICAL TRIALS?

Overview

Clinical trials are not about laboratories and test tubes they are about real-people fighting disease and getting access to the most effective medical treatments.

Because not all people or cancer tumours are the same, clinical trials are necessary to test the effectiveness of different types and combinations of treatments for particular groups of tumours and people.

Treatments generally include a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and specialist drugs (chemotherapy). These treatments need to be administered in the optimal combination to ensure that the best patient outcomes can be achieved.

Benefits of clinical trials to patients

  • Give patients immediate access to the latest treatments
  • Standard treatments can be changed 3-5 years earlier if trials are conducted in Australia.
  • Improve cure rates
  • Improve quality-of-life during treatment.

AGITG Trials

The Australasian GastoIntestinal Trials Group (AGITG) is responsible for the co-ordination of clinical trials within Australia and New Zealand and collaboration with international research groups.

Clinical trials are divided into 4 categories:

  1. New trials in development – Trials currently being assessed by the Scientific Advisory Committee
  2. Trials open to new patient recruitment – These trials are recruiting patients at the hospital sites. The trial managers and coordinators work closely with site staff to collect data and monitor patient progress
  3. Trials in active follow-up – These trials have reached their recruitment target. Patients may still be on treatment and their progress is being
    monitored and assessed for long-term effects of treatment, while data is being collected. Initial results are being processed, and may be
    presented at research conferences and in research publications;
  4. Completed trials – These trials have ended. Patients are no longer being treated and the results of the study may be published
    in scientific journals and in the media. Often the results will affect clinical practice, the treatment of future patients and new trial development.