AS more than 350 patients and their loved ones can attest, the importance of Orange’s clinical cancer trials for those facing the fight of their lives can’t be underestimated.
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The vital value of the Central West Cancer Care Centre’s clinical trials unit, which is based at Orange Health Services, was underscored on Friday night by a NSW Premier’s Award for Outstanding Cancer Research.
The Outstanding Cancer Clinical Trial Unit in NSW award includes a $20,000 prize to be put towards the activities of the unit, which was honoured for its commitment to bringing clinical trials to rural NSW, recruiting a high number of patients, and generating high quality trial data.
Dr Rob Zielinski, director of clinical trials at the centre, said the award is a wonderful accolade of the hard work that goes into setting up a clinical trials unit.
“Since opening in 2014, the Clinical Trials Unit has run 20 trials and saved 350 people from the community from travelling long distances to access trials,” Dr Zielinski said.
“This award will be a great boost to the dedicated staff in the unit whose work is being recognised across the state.”
Dr Zielinski emphasised that while the award acknowledged previous work by the clinical trials unit, it was likely to have benefits for its future.
“Being the best performing clinical trials unit in the state will build trust and credibility with the community and trial sponsors,” he said.
“This award will likely mean our unit will be granted more trials and therefore provide more exciting treatment options to our community.
“In the end we just want to be able to give cancer patient what they really want which is a longer life and clinical trials are a big part in delivering that dream.”
CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Professor David Currow, highlighted the importance of access to clinical trials.
“For some people with cancer who have exhausted all standard treatment options, a clinical trial can change the course of their disease,” said Professor Currow.
“The team at the Central West Cancer Centre have made exceptional progress, doubling the number of trials available over the past 12 months.”
The Central West Cancer Care Centre’s clinical trials unit also recently won the Australasian Gastro Intestinal Trials Group Outstanding Site Award for 2017.
