Dear Colleagues:
The CCI Clinical Trials Unit mission statement is "To initiate and conduct interventional clinical trials that improve the lives of current and future cancer patients"
Clinical trials improve outcomes of our cancer patients by advancing the standard of care and by providing access to better treatments for every patient that comes to the Cross Cancer Institute. Centres that conduct clinical trials "raise the bar" by adopting best processes and state-of-the-art multidisciplinary care.
This competition provides an opportunity to fund local, potentially practice changing investigator initiated trials (IITs).
First, we would like to thank each and every applicant for submitting their proposals. This Spring we are able to fund 2 new Investigator Initiated Trials and I am pleased to announce the recipients of the Alberta Cancer Foundation Funding from the Spring 2018, CCI Investigator Initiated Trials competition. Please join us in congratulating the following recipients:
Dr. John Walker
Protocol: The UNSCARRed Study: "UNresectable Squamous cell Carcinoma treated with Avelumab and Radical Radiotherapy"
A Phase 2, open label, single arm, non-randomized interventional trial to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of the combined use of avelumab, an inhibitor of the PD-L1 checkpoint molecule ligand, with radiation therapy for patients with inoperable, non-metastatic (M0) histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.
The primary objective of this clinical trial is to determine the efficacy of combination radiation therapy/anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy for patients with cuSCC deemed Unresectable.
A successful outcome of this trial would provide definite benefit to an underserved elderly patient group that would otherwise have no secondary treatment options.
Dr. Catherine Field and Dr. John Mackey
Protocol: DHA for Women with Early Breast Cancer In the Neoadjuvant Setting (DHA WIN)
A Phase IIB, two-arm, double blind randomized control trial comparing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation and placebo in chemotherapy naïve women with clinical stage II and III breast cancer prescribed neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgery.
The primary objective is to determine the efficacy of supplemental DHA as measured by change in Ki67 index from biopsy to surgical excision.
The data from this study would add to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of supplemental DHA to improve patient outcomes and tolerance of chemotherapy.
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The next competition will be held October 2018, with a call for proposals being released in August 2018.
Thank you for making a difference.
Don Morrish
Chair, CCI IIT Regional Funding Review Committee