There are numerous clinical trials taking place around New Zealand to gather evidence about new medicines or treatment methods that may help to improve breast cancer care in future.
In a clinical trial, a large number of women with breast cancer will be asked to test a new medicine, group of medicines or treatment method.
Researchers can then compare the outcomes for these women with the outcomes for women on a more usual treatment programme.
Waikato surgeon, Associate Professor Ian Campbell, recommends that if women get the opportunity, they should participate in a clinical trial.
“There have been a number of studies which show that women who go into a clinical trial tend to do better no matter what arm of the clinical trial they get, than women who don’t. And that’s in part because clinical trials are carefully controlled and the teams of doctors who participate in them are at the leading edge of their field.”
Breast cancer survivor, Raewyn Calvert, has participated in two clinical trials. She says her involvement helped her because she knew she was doing everything possible to keep the cancer at bay.
Mrs Calvert says participating in clinical trials provides a legacy for women who may get breast cancer in future.
“When I think about the trials that I have been on, I just feel incredible gratitude to the women who have done this before me because without what they’ve done who knows whether I’d even be here now, so I feel really passionate about my involvement with the trials.”
Some of the clinical trials open to women in New Zealand at the moment include:
This clinical trial looks at the possibility of treating women with Triple Negative Breast Cancer with Tamoxifen.
The Supremo Trial
This clinical trial looks at the benefits of radiation therapy for women who have had a mastectomy for breast cancer and who may be at 'moderate' risk of the cancer returning. This trial is only open to women in the Waikato.
The Marianne Trial
An international trial which will involve up to 1092 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using a new drug known T-DM1. This trial is only open to women in Waikato and Auckland. You can find out more about research into TDM-1 here.
The SNAC-2 Trial
This trial compares two operations for detecting cancer cells in the lymph nodes of women with early breast cancer - sentinal node biopsy versus auxillary clearance. It is open to wwomen in the North Shore, Waikato, Christchurch, Palmerston North and Tauranga.
The Trog Trial
This trial is for women who have ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast and aims to see whether improvements can be made to radiation treatment by giving women an extra treatment dose. It is available to women in Waikato, Christchurch and Auckland.
The LATER trial
This study examines whether being given the drug Letrozole a year or more after completing hormonal therapy can prevent or delay breast cancer from recurring in postmenopausal women.
The SOLE trial
The aim of this study is to determine whether the risk of breast cancer recurring can be reduced further by taking Letrozole for a another five years in post menopausal women.
