The Leukaemia Foundation helps fund blood cancer research including clinical trials. The aim is to find if a treatment or device is safe and improves health outcomes.
A clinical trial may involve testing:
- medicines
- ways of giving treatment
- ways to screen, diagnose, prevent or treat a disease or condition.
Trials are run by hospitals and researchers. They can be funded by drug manufacturers, government and organisations.
Treatments on a clinical trial are not usually available to everyone. They can be accessed by patients who meet the trial eligibility criteria. If the clinical trial improves health outcomes the treatment may be approved for more people.
Clinical trials can provide another treatment option when standard treatments don’t work.
Speak to your treatment team about participating in a clinical trial. They will give you information on trials you may be eligible for.
Clinical trials are conducted in Australia and overseas. The Leukaemia Foundation helps people with blood cancer access international trials through our Trials Enabling Program.
Common questions about clinical trials
Each clinical trial follows a plan called a protocol that explains:
- who can join the trial
- what will happen during the trial and what is expected
- what tests and treatments are included.
If you are eligible, a clinical trial team including doctors and nurses manage your care.
By participating in a clinical trial you may:
- have a treatment not yet available to others
- help researchers find better treatments
- help others living with the same blood cancer.
Before you decide to participate in a clinical trial:
- talk to your doctor
- read the written information and sign a consent form
- check how often and where you have treatments and tests
- ask any questions you have.
There is no cost for tests and treatments related to clinical trials. Some trials may also help with accommodation (if needed), travel or parking.
You will still need to pay for your usual medical care.
Private health insurance usually does not cover the costs related to trials. Check with your provider on what benefits you have.
The risks are dependent on the type of treatment. Like all treatments, some side effects can be mild and others more serious. Make sure you understand the risks before consenting to a clinical trial.
Researchers must follow strict guidelines, laws and ethics during a trial.
Clinical trials are approved by a group of experts, including scientists, doctors, and people from the local community (e.g. consumers, ethics experts). These experts check the safety and benefits of the trial.
Each trial must meet the Good Clinical Practice standard. This ensures the rights, safety and wellbeing of trial participants are protected.
The trial protocol document provides you with information on the length of the trial.
You can leave the trial at any time by withdrawing your consent.
You should continue to see your general practitioner (GP) and your usual haematologist.
As part of the trial, you may:
- see new doctors
- go to a different hospital
- have more tests and treatments.
A placebo is a substance that has no effect on the disease. Placebos are rarely used in cancer trials. However, some trials may compare a new treatment against a current standard treatment.
Each clinical trial has eligibility criteria. This may include your:
- age
- medical history
- type or stage of blood cancer
- current or previous treatment
- physical health
- blood test and scan results.
A doctor and/or nurse will check if you meet the trials criteria.
Once a trial ends, the researchers look at the results. Sometimes you can keep getting the treatment. But often, you need to wait until it is approved by the government.
Some drug companies offer a pre-approval access treatment program while it’s waiting approval.
Talk to your doctor. They will be able to access an up-to-date list of trials. You can also find clinical trials through patient advocacy groups or local university medical centres. Other Australian trials sites include:
- Australian Cancer Trials – a website funded by Cancer Australia for people who have cancer and are considering taking part in a trial to test a new treatment.
- Australasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group (ALLG) – an organisation that specialises in clinical research, both through clinical trials and applied laboratory research associated with trials, for patients with a blood cancer.
- The Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry – a database of clinical trials and their results from Australia, New Zealand and other countries. Its search function allows you to conduct a basic or advanced search of clinical trials.
- ClinTrial Refer – a mobile app and website platform that allows patients to search for active clinical trials and to access trial site locations and contact details.
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre – coordinate large multicentre clinical trials in Australia and promotes high quality clinical trials research. But it does not directly recruit participants for clinical trials.
- ABC Health Matters website – Clinical Trials – provides a good description of clinical trials and answers common questions
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) website – includes ‘at a glance’ information and a list of frequently asked questions
- World Health Organization
Clinical trials overseas
The Leukaemia Foundation has established the Trials Enabling Program (TEP) to help people with blood cancer access new drugs through international clinical trials.
More information about international trials can be found at:
- ClinicalTrials.com (US)
- ClinicalTrials.gov (US)
- Cancer Trial Treatment Options
- National Cancer Institute (US)
Relevant webinars
View our previous webinars that might provide more information relevant to your circumstance.
The ClinTrial Refer App
A/Professor Nada Hamad, haematologist at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, shares the benefits of the ClinTrial Refer mobile app.
Warren’s clinical trial story
Warren’s story isn’t unusual. Before his 2003 diagnosis, he didn’t know anything about blood cancer or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. After seven rounds of chemotherapy, a bone marrow biopsy showed he was running out of options. Then he learned of a targeted oral therapy overseas. The therapy was brought to Australia as part of a clinical trial and Warren was able to access the treatment which has kept him alive.
