News

Southlake Celebrates Second Annual
International Clinical Trials Day

Newmarket, Ontario May 16, 2006 - On May 18, 2006, Southlake Regional Health Centre will host an informational display in recognition of the second annual International Clinical Trials Day. The day was created by the European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN) and is designed to highlight the importance of clinical research and clinical trials, ultimately leading to improved clinical practice and healthcare world wide.

“As a centre committed to excellence, we encourage our staff to develop a culture of research and best practices,” says Dan Carriere, President and CEO. “Clinical trials allow us to contribute towards new discoveries that not only benefit the lives of the people we treat but the lives of people around the world.”

Presently, Southlake participates in approximately 40 clinical research projects in a wide variety of areas including, cancer and cardiac care, rheumatology, orthopedics and urology. All projects are in phases II and III and consist of drug and device trials, as well as research in population-based and epidemiological studies.

All projects are overseen by Southlake’s Clinical Trials Committee and adhere to strict standards set out by Health Canada.  “Our team consists of a talented group of nineteen professionals, who put patient safety and ethics of the study as a top priority,” says Patricia Norman, acting chair, clinical trials committee.

The committee is comprised of a comprehensive group of professionals with representatives from medicine, pharmacy, nursing, laboratory, health records, diagnostic services and community representatives among others.

According to Ms. Norman, the number of clinical research projects will increase with the opening of the new regional cancer centre in late 2008. “With the new regional cancer centre, we will have the capacity to take on new and exciting national and international research related to chemotherapy medications, radiation therapy and research on the quality of life and psychosocial needs of our oncology population”.

The benefits of clinical trails are extensive. Patients have access to new research treatments and medications that are not widely available. “In many instances, the individual may see an improved quality of life as a result of the trial,” explains Dr. Janet McKinnon, haematologist. “Participants often express a level of satisfaction in being part of a clinical study. They feel that they are making a contribution towards a possible medical breakthrough that may not necessarily benefit them but will benefit others in the future."

Southlake Regional Health Centre offers a full complement of health care services and is the only non-teaching Hospital in the province to specialize in advanced cardiac and cancer care. Southlake is also the only non-teaching hospital in the province to offer a total of five regional programs, including Cardiac Care, Cancer Care, Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders, Paediatric and Perinatal Care and Child and Adolescent mental health. With more than 2,000 employees, 350 physicians and 500 volunteers, the hospital’s goal is to make Southlake synonymous with health care excellence.

Backgrounder on Clinical Trials:

History:
The first clinical trial occurred on May 20, 1747 by Scottish naval surgeon James Lind. He compared six treatments on 12 sailors with scurvy. Lind established the foundations of evidence-based medicine. Today, clinical trials serve as important part in the discovery of new medical advancements. 

Definitions:
Clinical trials are controlled research studies or experiments that test newly developed procedures, drugs, or equipment on consenting individuals, usually patients, who have been diagnosed with a serious health condition or disease such as cancer.  Clinical trials are usually conducted in three phases:

Phase I: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people (20-80) for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.

Phase II: The study drug or treatment is given to a large group of people, (100-300) to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety. 

Phase III: The trial treatment is given to a larger number of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects and compare it to commonly used treatments. During this phase, participants are randomly assigned to receive either the trail treatment or a placebo. Randomizing patients allows the researcher to compare individuals with the same type of illness or disease who are taking different treatments to determine which treatments are better with fewer side effects.

Safety:
Clinical Trials are federally regulated. In Canada, this is done by Health Canada through the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate. This branch has the responsibility for inspections and investigations of clinical trials across Canada. All trials must follow a carefully controlled protocol. Researchers must report the results of the trial at scientific meetings, to medical journals, and to various government agencies.

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