Cancer Trials Australia (CTA) is pleased to announce a new project, to be delivered with the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), providing Victorian sites with an exciting opportunity to more easily implement teletrials.

The VCCC Teletrials Program aims to increase access to cancer clinical trials for regional cancer patients, by reducing the barriers to their participation. Such barriers include time, cost and social disruption.

Under the teletrials model the principal investigator at the primary teletrial site is responsible for all trial activity across the teletrial cluster, however current governance processes for teletrials does not support this model. The project will focus on streamlining ethics and governance processes. CTA aim to develop a framework and tools to support ethics and governance applications for the VCCC Teletrials Program.

Alana Donaldson, Program Manager of the VCCC Teletrials Program said, “A key strategy for the VCCC alliance is to increase the number of regional cancer patients participating in clinical trials. Teletrials are one major mechanism to help achieve this goal across the VCCC alliance partners and our collaborators.”

Cancer Trials Australia CEO Dr Kurt Lackovic said, “We are excited to be partnering with the VCCC for this important project. CTA has built strong relationships throughout Victoria’s hospital network including our regional hospital Members, and we are keen to ensure support for those hospitals and their cancer patients in the delivery of teletrials.”

CTA recently commenced consultations with the Directors of Research as well as Managers from Research Governance Offices from seven Victorian institutions, in addition to Suzanne Hasthorpe from the DHHS. These consultations revealed challenges and opportunities associated with implementation of a single governance model across Victoria. Further discussions with broader stakeholders are required to ensure adequate consultation in the development of a state-wide teletrials governance model.

The VCCC Teletrials Program is supported by the Victorian Government.