Research & clinical trials

Our research covers a broad spectrum including clinical trials to research in ethics. Our members hold external peer-reviewed grants and participate in the National Cancer Institute of Canada clinical trials group as well as being involved with guideline developments in Cancer Care Ontario.

Visit our research showcase to learn more about our researchers and their work.

Research

The Medical Oncology & Hematology program has an active research program that includes:

Translational research

Our program has produced over 300 publications and over $20 million in research funding. Five of our members are clinician-scientists, and are leaders in translational research. Particular areas of excellence are cancer immunotherapy, chronobiology, stem cells, angiogenesis, and clinical trials.

Quality improvement initiatives

Through research studies, we have identified three areas to decrease the length of stay or reduce admissions to hospital. A major accomplishment has been achieved in our approach to decreasing wait times for chemotherapy in our Cancer Centre.

Many of our medical oncologists and hematologists enjoy leadership positions as site group chairs for the Cancer Care Ontario, Program in Evidence-Based Care (CCO-PEBC), and the National Cancer Institute of Canada-Clinical Trials Group (NCIC-CTG). PEBC guidelines support clinical practice in Ontario and the rest of Canada, as well as funding decisions for new cancer drugs in Canada. Clinical trials developped through NCIC-CTG have influenced practice in most disease sites both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Craig Earle heads the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) Health Services Research (HSR) section and is highly involved with HSR at ASCO as well. Our other members also serve on ASCO committees. Economic outcomes and research is another developing area of research in our group and Dr. Kelvin Chan is persuing a PhD in biostatics. He will be the sole Canadian oncologist with this training. Dr. Georg Bjarnason also pursues studies in chronobiology. He works closely with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) in this important area of research, especially in renal cell cancer.

Clinical trials

All of our medical oncologists and hematologists are leaders and collaborators in clinical trials that are part of the Odette Cancer Centre in partnership with our colleagues in surgical and radiation oncology in each of the above mentioned disease site groups.

Our medical/hematology oncologists are involved in many clinical trials, for example:

• Exercise in early breast cancer to determine the feasibility of a randomized trial to investigate whether exercise increases survival in early breast cancer.
• Trials in chronotherapy (the timing of treatment in relationship to the body’s cycles or diurnal variations).
• Preoperative targeted treatments correlated with changes in tumour tissue and imaging.
• New drugs for various tumour types.

Search cancer clinical trials »