Cancer patients will now be able to access details of clinical trials operating in Ireland following the launch of a new online search facility by the Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG).
Using the Group’s website – at http://www.icorg.ie – patients can search by type of cancer and stage of disease (early or advanced) for trials which are currently open for participation. For each trial, information is provided on the study’s aim, eligibility criteria and the hospital where it is taking place. A general explanation of the purpose of clinical trials, the potential risks and benefits and patient protection measures is also available.
As similar service has successfully operated for a number of years on the website of the US National Cancer Institute and is the most frequently visited cancer-related website.
ICORG currently has 14 studies enrolling patients and plans to increase this figure to 20 early in the New Year. To date, ICORG has set up 38 studies in Ireland and has made a research option available to more than 600 patients.