Trust crucial to research advancements

Clinical trials are crucial to advances in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. This year in Australia, over 21,000, people will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 3,000 lives will be lost. Despite significant advances, breast cancer is still a leading cause of cancer death among women.

Breast Cancer Trials is Australia and New Zealand’s largest independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated solely to breast cancer clinical trials research.

We note the recent media reports of misconduct by cancer researcher Professor Mark Smyth. While we have no direct links to the research that is the subject of the media reports, we do want to provide reassurance around the quality of clinical trials research, and address any unease stemming from these revelations.

Patient outcomes have improved significantly over the last few decades thanks to the rigorous processes involved in the development and conduct of clinical trials.

Clinical trials are carefully designed research studies that find out if new treatments are more effective than those currently accepted as the best available standard of care. Clinical trials can look at how well treatments work to control or cure disease, symptoms, side effects, and whether they can improve quality of life. Each trial intervention is subjected to a series of checks and balances, under the careful oversight of the international breast cancer research community and alongside stringent ethical and governance standards. All new breast cancer treatments and prevention strategies must be rigorously tested through the clinical trials process before they are made widely available to the community.

It is critically important that people considering participating in a clinical trial can trust the research, are fully informed and provide consent.

For 45 years, Breast Cancer Trials has been a trusted voice in the breast cancer research space, leading national and international collaboration through our network of world-leading breast cancer doctors and researchers across Australia and New Zealand. The quality, effectiveness and safety monitoring we conduct as part of our clinical trials is best practice, in line with all regulatory requirements and has led to the breakthroughs that underpin the treatments we use in clinics today.

With a vision of No More Lives Cut Short, our team is committed to finding better treatments for every person affected by breast cancer, in every circumstance. Our commitment is unwavering to patient safety, and rigorous clinical trial monitoring.

Education, awareness and trust in the processes are critical to future clinical trials and saving lives. To those considering a clinical trial – talk to your treating team if you have questions about the process. Your participation is fundamental to progress.