Paediatric oncologist involved in early drug development:

• Dr. Lynley MARSHALL, Royal Marsden Hospital Sutton

UK FAIR Trials group

UKFT is co-ordinated by Ed Park, Cluster Manager at the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) Coordinating Centre. Its members include:

• Chris Copland (Patient Advocate)
• Dr Martin Elliott (Paediatric/TYA Oncologist)
• Dr Lynley Marshall (Paediatric/TYA Oncologist)
• Max Williamson (Patient Advocate)

Contact

Carole LECINSE

ITCC Project Manager/Accelerate FAIR Group coordination

carole.lecinse@gustaveroussy.fr

National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network

In 2015, NIHR and cancer research charities were asked to consider ways in which access to clinical trials for teenagers and young adults with cancer could be significantly increased. To address this a series of summit meetings have been convened and a TYA Strategy developed. This included a commitment to ‘engage with funders of research (including industry) to promote an age inclusive agenda consistent with the FAIR trials initiative.’

National Cancer Research Institute

The NCRI helps deliver better outcomes for all those affected by cancer throughout the UK and beyond. It oversees 17 clinical studies groups which coordinate the development of a strategic portfolio of trials.

NCRI’s Teenage, Young Adults and Germ Cell Tumours Group identified several barriers to the recruitment of young people to clinical trials – one of these being  the age parameters which were applied to cancer clinical. As a result of approaches to Cancer Research UK, as the biggest funder of cancer clinical trials in the UK, researchers applying for funding for a clinical trial are now asked for scientific justification for both upper and lower inclusion age limits in their patient recruitment criteria. If a lower limit is required, researchers are instructed to set this at 16 rather than 18.

A TYA lead is now appointed within each of the clinical studies groups with responsibility for making sure these issues are considered when decisions are made.

The NIHR Clinical Research Network has a target to recruit 50% all young people diagnosed with cancer into a clinical trial by 2025.

Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres

The ECMC aims to act as an efficient and effective network that will assist in the delivery of early-phase cancer studies between research partners, both clinicians and scientists. Its vision is to translate the most promising innovations from the academic and industry sectors into the cancer medicines of tomorrow. The Network is made up of 18 adult and 11 paediatric locations across the UK, with some locations having specific TYA capabilities. The list of paediatric centres and their managers can be accessed here and the adult centres here.