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Medical Oncology clinical trials
Alfred Cancer Trials - Medical Oncology is a world-class clinical trials unit. We oversee a comprehensive suite of cancer clinical trials from surgical studies to first-in-human trials of cutting edge therapies to large, Phase III studies that seek to advance standards of care in a range of malignancies.
Why are clinical trials so important?
We need clinical trials to prove that a new medication, device or treatment is safe and effective for people.
Without clinical trials, new treatments and medicines cannot be approved for use in Australia.
About us
Alfred Cancer Trials - Medical Oncology has extensive expertise in conducting sponsored, collaborative and investigator-led Phase I, II, III and IV clinical trials.
We work in teams. Each team consists of registered nurses and medical scientists with experience in clinical trials and cancer. The teams work together to ensure extraordinary experiences for patients who elect to join a clinical trial.
Our values
We pride ourselves on our ability to generate accurate and comprehensive data, ensuring we meet strict data entry timelines and sponsor expectations.
Our teams’ focus is on quality and we strive to ensure that patients receive world class care. We have established innovative models such as Teletrials, to help patients living in regional and rural areas access clinical trials.
Our expertise
We have expertise in managing a variety of medications to treat people with cancer:
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Monoclonal antibodies
- Oncolytic virus
- Genetically modified organisms
Our research portfolio includes working as a lead site and well as a participating site in multiple Victorian, national and international trials.
We have access to Alfred Health research technology platforms, including the Alfred Cancer Biobank.
What are Phase I, II, III or IV clinical trials?
There are four different phases of a clinical trial. Each phase is represented by a roman numeral.
Our vision
We aim to decrease the incidence and impact of cancer in our community. We do this by providing opportunities for access to innovations in cancer care and prevention through partnerships with industry, pharma, expert academic researchers, health care colleagues, and patients and their carers.
Our focus
Each team has a speciality tumour focus:
- Breast
- Neuro-oncology
- Lung
- Skin and melanoma
- Gynaeoncology
- Upper GI
- Colorectal
- Urology
- Head and neck
The focus areas include early phase trials, melanoma and skin cancer trials, rare and late phase solid tumour trials.
Our achievements
- Winner 2020 Alfred Health Recognising Excellence Award - Leading Innovation and Change. In a world-first, we delivered life-saving treatment remotely on a phase 1 clinical trial through a teletrial model.
- TrialHub collaboration - we partnered with a leading federal government program, TrialHub, to boost access to innovative clinical trial treatments for patients in rural and regional areas, as close to their homes as possible.
- First in world dosing - we were the first unit globally to treat pancreatic cancers directly via surgical application of a novel treatment.
- Integration of biobanking - to support translational, bedside-to-bench-to-bedside research that leads to the next generation of cutting-edge treatment, we have integrated protocols to enable the collection, storage and use in research projects of clinical data and blood and tissue samples donated by patients.
Our team
The Alfred Cancer Trials - Medical Oncology team are leaders in their fields, with decades of Australian and international experience.
Our principal investigators
Key to our teams' achievements is the support provided by our experienced and dedicated principal investigators. They have oversight of each clinical trial conducted by Alfred Cancer Trials - Medical Oncology.
Each principal investigator is an established medical oncologist with extensive expertise in the running and management of clinical trials which bring opportunities for patients to access novel and exciting cancer therapies.
Our principal investigators are supported by medical oncology research fellows, who work alongside investigators managing trials patients in clinics.
Our leadership team
Our Clinical Research Manager leads the Alfred Cancer Trials - Medical Oncology teams. They are supported by three very experienced team leaders and a study start-up coordinator.
Are you interested in our clinical trials?
ClinTrial Refer is a quick way to see all of our open trials, in one place. It’s the easy way to find a trial that may be right for you or your patient.
Our partners
Latest news
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A new resource provided to patients at the time of their advanced melanoma diagnosis is set to make things easier during what can be an overwhelming time.