Meet the team this World Cancer Day

To celebrate World Cancer Day (February 4), meet some our cancer clinical trials superstars who are contributing to improving the lives of cancer patients now and for years to come.

Meet Nicola Byrne, Medical Oncology clinical trials

Can you simply explain your role?

I’m a Clinical Trial Coordinator, which means being involved in all aspects of a clinical trial from the start-up stage until the close-out of it, and being the liaison between patients and the drug companies. We help to ensure the rights and needs of the patient are being met with the utmost care, as well as ensuring we conduct the trial according to the requirements of drug companies.

In your own words, what is a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is investigative research where we look at new interventions to treat or diagnose disease, testing if they’re safe and effective. It involves testing new treatments and comparing them to standard treatments currently being used.

Why are they important for finding cures for cancers?

They’re important as they help discover potential new and better ways of managing disease. They give patients access to interventions, which are not readily available, which is especially important for patients with no other treatment options.

What has been your highlight/greatest achievement since you’ve worked in clinical trials?

I have had the pleasure of seeing patients with metastatic cancer completely respond to their clinical trial treatment, and to witness the impact this has on the lives of our patients and their loved ones, which is amazing when you think of it! It’s also extremely exciting to be part of Alfred Health research where we have given new drugs to the very first patient in the world, which not a lot of people can say about their jobs! I’m also extremely excited to witness the expansion of the Alfred Cancer Trials team coming over the next couple of years, I think we’ve got some really exciting developments ahead!

Meet Jane Brack, Victorian Melanoma Service clinical trials

Can you simply explain your role? 

My role as a melanoma study coordinator includes many tasks. The main aspects of my job are to recruit participants from the Melanoma clinic to be involved in our trials, educate them about the trial as well as liaising closely with the study team.

Can you give us an overview of your work background to-date?

I worked as a registered nurse for many years in Australia and the UK. One day l met a study coordinator who opened my eyes to the world of research, l saw it as a new opportunity to utilise my clinical skills and still be able to interact with patients. I have worked at the Victorian Melanoma Service for the past four years and previous to that l worked as a study coordinator in cardiology for 10 years.

What is a big misconception about clinical trials that you’d like to debunk?

That research participants are guinea pigs and anything could happen to them! Research is actually conducted under very strict guidelines, and, before a new treatment is trialled in humans, it has been researched extensively beforehand. From my experience, many research participants enjoy being on a trial and love the extra attention they receive. 

Why are they important for finding cures for cancers?

Clinical trials are essential for finding new ways of treating cancer. Currently in the Victorian Melanoma Service, we are examining better ways to detect skin cancer. We are one of a handful of hospitals in Australia that has been luckily enough to receive a new photography machine called the VECTRA. This VECTRA is made up of 92 cameras that knits the participants photos together instantaneously. We then give these images to the patient on a USB stick to be used at their skin checks. We believe participants utilising these images at skin checks will have earlier detection of skin cancers and therefore better outcomes.

What has been your greatest achievement since you’ve worked in clinical trials?

Working with the VECTRA is definitely up there. This is a such a super cool piece of technology that we believe will revolutionise the detection of skin cancers. Also, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist in diagnosing of skin cancers. I worked on the SMARTI study which involved uploading photos of patients’ skin lesions into a program. The doctors would diagnose the lesion followed by the AI. This AI may be used in the future to help doctors working remotely who would like a second opinion. 

Meet Thobe Mthethwa-Pitt, TrialHub Education Manager

I work in close collaboration with regional hospital clinical trial unit managers, and their teams, to establish a structured education program for the coordination of trials in regional/remote teams. 

TrialHub is a pilot program, based at The Alfred, that is supporting the establishment of independent clinical trial units across Victoria so that people have better access closer to home. We are focussed on opening cancer clinical trials at the moment.

Why is it important that clinical trials are expanded out to regional locations?

Access to clinical trials shouldn’t be based on your postcode. All Victorians, no matter where they live, should have access to the best available treatment options close to home. Long distance travel to a metro hospital can be exhausting, or it can even prevent someone from going on a trial that could potentially save their life. For local staff, it gives them the same career opportunities as their metro counterparts.

What are some of the misconceptions about clinical trials that you’d like to debunk?

“Patients are only recruited into clinical trials when all other treatments have failed.”

Clinical trials, particularly in cancer, are not an afterthought. They are an additional treatment option that give opportunities for patients to access potentially more effective new treatment methods that are not yet available as standard of care.

The advancements from clinical trials are enabling a move from a one-size-fits-all cancer treatment to a personalised treatment selection approach that considers individual genetic make-up, disease mutation markers, patients’ comorbidities and overall impact to quality of life.

For more information, please visit our clinical trials page