Free webinar to explain cancer clinical trials

A leading cancer research expert from Ashbourne has said thousands more patients in Ireland could benefit from potentially life-saving clinical trials if greater investment was made in cancer research services.

Cancer Trials Ireland, which currently has 137 active trials running nationwide, says demand from patients far exceeds the number of studies that can currently be offered through the health system.

The organisation is now encouraging people to learn more about cancer trials through a free public webinar taking place later this month as part of International Clinical Trials Day.

The online event, titled “Let’s Talk Trials: All You Need to Know About Cancer Trials”, will take place on Friday 22nd May at 2.30pm and aims to give patients and families a clearer understanding of how clinical trials work and the role they play in improving cancer treatment.

Among those leading the initiative is Ashbourne resident Angela Clayton-Lea, CEO of Cancer Trials Ireland, who said awareness around trials has grown significantly in recent years but misconceptions still remain.

“Every cancer treatment that exists today was once tested through a clinical trial,” she told the Meath Chronicle. “Trials are how we improve treatment, reduce side effects, improve quality of life and ultimately save lives.”

Cancer Trials Ireland currently has 137 active cancer trials running across the country, while almost 5,000 people took part in cancer clinical trials in Ireland last year. An additional 120 trials are currently in follow-up stages, with dozens more in development.

The campaign comes amid rising cancer diagnoses nationally. According to the National Cancer Registry Ireland, approximately 24,200 people are diagnosed with invasive cancer annually, with breast, prostate, lung and bowel cancers among the most common.

Ms Clayton-Lea said many patients are surprised to learn that clinical trials are not simply a “last resort” option.

“One of the myths around trials is that people think they’re only for patients who have exhausted every other option,” she said. “Actually, trials can take place at many stages of treatment and in many cases should be considered a first opportunity rather than a last chance.”

She explained that patients diagnosed with cancer at major treatment centres are often informed about relevant trials as part of their discussions with oncology teams.

“When somebody is diagnosed, their oncologist will discuss the treatments available to them and also any suitable clinical trials that may be running either at that hospital or elsewhere,” she said. “If the patient is interested, they go through a screening process to determine eligibility and then they’re given time to consider participation before making any decision.”

Cancer trials can involve testing new drugs, radiotherapy techniques, surgical approaches, medical devices or quality-of-life interventions such as physiotherapy, diet and exercise programmes.

Ms Clayton-Lea, who previously worked as a radiation therapist and later served as Chief Operating Officer at Tallaght University Hospital, said advances in cancer care over recent decades have been extraordinary.

“If you look at breast cancer survival rates in the 1990s, they were around 72 to 74 per cent over five years. Today that figure is closer to 96 or 97 per cent,” she said. “The same applies to prostate cancer, where five-year survival rates are now around 98 per cent. Those improvements happened because of research and trials.”

She pointed to major developments in immunotherapy and radiotherapy as examples of how rapidly treatment continues to evolve.

“When I worked clinically in radiotherapy, prostate cancer patients would typically need 37 treatments. Now, because technology and planning have improved so much, many patients can receive the same treatment outcomes in just five sessions,” she explained.

Despite growing public interest, Ms Clayton-Lea said one of the biggest challenges facing cancer research in Ireland is funding.

“We know up to 70 per cent of patients would like the opportunity to participate in a trial, but we simply don’t have enough trials open,” she said. “The expertise is there, the patients are there, but more investment is needed to expand research teams and open additional studies.”

Currently, approximately 2.7 per cent of cancer patients in Ireland participate in clinical trials involving new treatments, compared to a national target of six per cent.

“If we had the resources, we could potentially have 15 or 20 per cent of patients participating in trials,” she added.

The webinar will feature contributions from Professor Seamus O’Reilly, Clinical Lead at Cancer Trials Ireland, Dr Claire Kilty from the Irish Cancer Society, and breast cancer patient Anne Bodley, who will share her personal experience of taking part in a clinical trial.

Ms Clayton-Lea said hearing directly from patients is often the most powerful way to help people understand the value of trials.

“Patients on trials are very closely monitored and often feel extremely well supported because they have direct access to research nurses and specialist teams,” she said. “For many people, taking part in a trial has genuinely changed their outcome.”

You can access the webinar here