Clinical Trials

The Pinnacle of Excellent Patient Care

Clinical trials play a critical role in achieving better outcomes for people facing cancer in B.C. They translate research into world-class care for British Columbians by identifying safer, more effective treatment options and improving the quality of life for people during and after treatment.

For many patients, clinical trials provide access to tomorrow’s standard of care today – especially when conventional options are no longer effective.

Thanks to donor support and a unique, robust provincial network, BC Cancer has one of the busiest and most impactful clinical trials programs in Canada.

BC Cancer’s Clinical Trials Office

Founded by BC Cancer medical oncologist Dr. Bernie Eigl, BC Cancer’s Provincial Clinical Trials Office oversees all clinical trials activity at its six regional centres and ensures the success of trials across the province. Overseeing clinical trial activity enables BC Cancer to make efficiency improvements and capture metrics which are often not shared with investigators on a trial-by-trial basis.

First-in-Canada Network

B.C. is the only province in Canada with a network of cancer centres conducting coordinated trials. BC Cancer’s network allows centres to work independently or collaboratively on a trial — a tremendous strength that is not available in other provincial health care systems across the country. BC Cancer’s unique approach ensures high-volume, highly specialized trials run by dedicated cancer experts who are exclusively focused on trial work.

As well, BC Cancer collaborates with the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network (3CTN) to sustain provincial clinical trials and increase trial capacity. 3CTN is an initiative that aims to improve recruitment, efficiency and quality of academic cancer clinical trials across Canada.

Clinical Trials in Your Region

BC Cancer has over 380 active clinical trials in the province. Here are a few examples of trials currently underway at BC Cancer’s six regional centres:

• BC Cancer – Abbotsford: Open trials for targeted radiation therapy and treatments for brain metastases, recurrent prostate cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian and breast cancer
• BC Cancer – Kelowna: Open trials for breast, prostate and lung cancer; precision radiation therapy; and treatments for endometrial cancer, head and neck cancer, melanoma
• BC Cancer – Prince George: Trials for breast, colon, endometrial cancer, metastatic cancer, bone metastases, and symptom management, with an emphasis on Indigenous community engagement
• BC Cancer – Surrey: Trials for breast, prostate, ovarian, blood and lung cancer; precision radiation therapy for metastatic cancer
• BC Cancer – Vancouver: Trials for breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, gynecologic, blood, and lung cancers, plus studies on brain radiotherapy vs. surgery, sarcoma therapies, and symptom management
• BC Cancer – Victoria: Trials for breast cancer, gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers, acute myeloid leukemia, lung cancer, melanoma, and exercise benefits for survivors

How You Can Make an Impact

With your help, BC Cancer will be able to accelerate activity at all six centres. This will allow new, more effective and less toxic therapies to be discovered, via trials that focus on new subtypes and aspects of cancer.

The expansion of BC Cancer clinical trials will ensure new treatment options reach people facing cancer in every region of the province. The solutions they uncover will elevate the standard of cancer care in B.C. and beyond.