RecruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Enhancing the Patient Journey to Clinical Trial Enrolment With Navigation to Optimize Accrual

Doctors often recommend clinical trials for people with cancer, but fewer than 5% actually join them. One big reason is that it can be hard to find trials, especially if your local hospital doesn't offer many. This study is about a program called the Clinical Trials Navigator (CTN) in Canada. It helps patients, their families, and doctors understand the trial system and find trials that might be a good fit. The program has already been tested in one area and helped more patients join trials. Now, it's being expanded to twenty more centres across Canada to see if it can help even more people get access to new cancer treatments.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

Windsor Regional Hospital

Enrolment target

300

Start

01 Apr 2025

Estimated completion

01 Jul 2026

Cancer

What is this study about?

When someone has cancer, doctors sometimes suggest clinical trials as a way to access new and potentially better treatments. However, it can be really tricky for patients to find these trials and understand how to join them. Often, the trials aren't available at their local hospital, which creates a big problem for many people.

This study aims to make this process much easier through something called the Clinical Trials Navigator (CTN) program. Think of a Clinical Trials Navigator as a helpful guide or a 'wayfinder'. Their job is to support patients, their families, and even doctors in understanding the world of clinical trials. They help connect patients with suitable trials, whether those trials are at their home hospital or at another centre in Canada.

This CTN program has already shown promise in a first test, helping an extra 8% of patients join trials in one area. Now, the goal is to introduce this program to twenty more cancer centres across Canada. The researchers want to see if having these navigators in more places can help many more people with cancer find and join the right clinical trials, ultimately leading to better treatment options and care.

Key takeaways

Clinical trials offer new cancer treatments but are hard to find.
The Clinical Trials Navigator (CTN) program helps patients find suitable trials.
This study aims to expand the CTN program to more cancer centres in Canada.
It could make accessing new cancer treatments much easier for patients.
The study measures how well the CTN program helps patients join trials.
Currently focusing on centres in Thunder Bay and Winnipeg.

Who may be eligible?

This study is focused on whether a support program can help more people join cancer trials. Because of this, it's not looking for patients to test new medicines or treatments directly. Instead, it's looking at how well the new support program linking patients to existing trials works.

For now, the study is specifically looking at healthcare professionals and patients living in Thunder Bay and Winnipeg who are dealing with cancer and might be considering clinical trials. If you are not in these specific areas, this particular part of the study would not be for you.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you a patient living with cancer?
Do you live in or receive care in Thunder Bay or Winnipeg, Canada?
Are you interested in learning more about clinical trials?
Are you willing to speak to a support person about trial options?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

This study is about how a support program helps people with cancer find clinical trials, rather than testing a specific new treatment. You wouldn't be asked to take a new medication or have extra tests. If you are a patient in Thunder Bay or Winnipeg, your involvement might include speaking with a Clinical Trials Navigator to help you understand trial options.

Researchers will also be speaking with administrators, doctors, and other healthcare workers in those centres, both before and after the program starts. They want to understand how easy or difficult it is to use the CTN program and what improvements could be made. The full study will take place over 12 months as the program is gradually introduced to different centres.

Potential risks and benefits

There are no direct medical risks from taking part in this study, as it's about improving how patients find trials, not testing a new medicine. The main benefit for patients could be having easier access to information and support to find suitable clinical trials, which might lead to new treatment options for their cancer. As with any study, you would be free to change your mind and stop taking part at any time without it affecting your usual care.

Locations (1)

Windsor Regional Hospital
Verified postcode
Windsor, Canada· Recruiting

Common questions

What is a 'Clinical Trials Navigator'?

A Clinical Trials Navigator is like a personal guide who helps patients and their families understand and find suitable clinical trials for cancer treatments.

Why is this study important?

It's important because many people with cancer don't join clinical trials, often because they don't know how to find them. This study hopes to make it much easier for patients to access potentially life-changing new treatments.

Will I receive new medicine if I take part?

No, this study is not testing a new medicine. It's about how a support program can help people find *existing* clinical trials that might offer new treatments.

Which areas are involved in this study right now?

Currently, this part of the study is focused on patients and healthcare teams in Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, Canada.

What do they hope to learn from this study?

They hope to learn if having a Clinical Trials Navigator program in more places helps more people with cancer find and join clinical trials, and if it could work across the whole country.

How to find out more

Caroline Hamm, MD

caroline.hamm@wrh.on.ca 15192535253 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.