Brain tumour charity launches worldwide trials database
A drive to match brain tumour patients with clinical trials around the world has been launched by a UK charity.
The Brain Tumour Charity's project aims to help patients access the most accurate and up-to-date information about trials for new brain tumour treatments and find out whether or not they are eligible to take part.
Kate Kershaw, Head of Support and Information at The Brain Tumour Charity, said the clinical trials database would help give patients the facts they wanted.
"The creation of this database is empowering people through information. It may be that they find there are no clinical trials suitable for them but at least they will know that, rather than wondering whether there is a trial out there that they could be taking part in," she said.
The database is provided on patient group's website by Your Treatment Choices, a UK-based company which provides trial database services to patients across a range of diseases. It allows people to search their specific condition and location in order to find out where they might access an appropriate clinical trial.
Many brain tumour patients are currently given little or no help with exploring clinical trial possibilities.
In a UK-wide survey last year, almost three out of four brain tumour patients (73%) said their medical team had not discussed clinical trials with them.
Almost a quarter (24%) were unsure, and just three per cent said clinical trials had been mentioned during their contact with healthcare professionals.
The survey was carried out by The Brain Tumour Charity and the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) - Brain Tumour Clinical Studies Group. In a separate survey by Cancer Research UK, 91% of patients with cancer thought people should be asked if they wanted to take part in a clinical trial.
Click here to visit the Clinical Trial Database.
The database will be supported by a telephone helpline (0125 2749 999 or via email at clinicaltrials@thebraintumourcharity.org) run by a team at The Brain Tumour Charity who will guide patients through the information available.
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