Finding the right clinical trial can be a crucial step in your cancer treatment journey. The Australian Cancer Trials website is a valuable resource for anyone seeking information about ongoing clinical trials in Australia.
Trials displayed on The Australian Cancer Trials are sources from the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) and ClinicalTrials.gov, the US clinical trials registry. Both of these are WHO-accredited registries, and provide information on locally open trials, ensuring you access trustworthy and comprehensive details.
A guide to help you find clinical trials:
1. Searching Cancer Trials
Head to the Australian Cancer Trials website you will be able to search for clinical trials and find out more about the registry.
Here you will be able to perform a broad search of clinical trials through ‘Cancer Type’ and ‘Keywords’
2. Utilising Advanced Search
To refine your search results, particularly if they span several pages, consider the following filters:
Recruitment Status: Filtering to ‘Recruiting’ will narrow your search to trials that are in the recruitment stage. Depending on where you are in your journey, the ‘Not yet recruiting’ status will allow you to stay informed about upcoming opportunities.
Location of Recruitment: Narrowing search to your residing state can be useful depending where you live. But don’t restrict your search solely by location—sometimes, trials at your local or neighbouring hospitals may not yet be listed, even if they plan to open. You might also find that you are more open to traveling than you initially thought. Some trials offer teletrial options, allowing part of your care to be delivered at your local hospital under the supervision of a clinician from the main trial site. Usually, these are within a state.
Phase of Trial: The phase of the trial can be useful; eligibility criteria may be narrower in early-phase trials, with the intervention given to fewer patients.
‘Phase 1’ trial means the drug has not yet been given to people living with your condition, other than patients already recruited to the clinical trial. This kind of trial will initially search for the dose of drug that works the best and gives fewer side effects. In a ‘Phase 2’ trial the safe dose of treatment is known, and there is an indication that the drug improves your condition. A Phase 2 trial will aim to show the drug works in a small number of people with the condition. A ‘Phase 3’ trial is usually an international clinical trial and there has been a clear signal that the treatment is of benefit in earlier Phase clinical trials. Discuss with your treating specialist to determine your risk comfort level and p[potential benefits, recognising that your preferences may change over time as you explore different treatment options.
3. Review Results
After performing your search, a list of trials will appear based on your filters. Review each trial to learn more about each trial, including:
Trial description: Understand the purpose and design of the study.
Inclusion criteria: Check if you qualify to participate based on health conditions, treatment and medical history, and possibly other factors. Your clinician can help you further here and if the trial sounds like it might be an option, additional tests will be run, usually after you consent and enrol to the trial in a process known as ‘screening’. Those tests will find out if you fit some of the other eligibility criteria.
Contact information: If you would like to learn more information about certain trials, get in touch with the trial coordinator.
4. Create Lists
As you review trials, you can create lists of those that might suit your needs. This can help you keep track of options as you discuss them with your treating specialist.
5. Stay Informed and Consider your Options
Take your time to review the trials and discuss them with your treating specialist. They can help assess whether a trial is appropriate for your situation and guide you through the process. Only your specialist can refer or consent you for a clinical trial.
If you don’t find a suitable trial immediately, consider signing up for alerts or newsletters from the site. This way, you can stay informed about new trials that may become available in the future.
