By: Kirsten Millar
People who have been affected by cancer, whether as a patient, caregiver, friend, or loved one, know how important it is to have the best possible tools to help fight back. At Nova Scotia Health, the Atlantic Clinical Cancer Research Unit (ACCRU) is a team working tirelessly to provide care and treatment to cancer patients. ACCRU serves a vital role in cancer care for many Nova Scotians, ensuring that patients have access to clinical trials that offer them new hope.
"We're essentially a patient care unit that's providing care through research," explained Heather Beaton, Director of Clinical Research Operations.
The ACCRU team, under the leadership of Dr. Ravi Ramjeesingh as the medical director, Ms. Heather Beaton as the Clinical Operations Director and Ms. Alison Avery as ACCRU manager, is responsible for coordinating clinical trials for a range of cancers, including breast, lung, neurological, gastrointestinal, thoracic, melanomas, genital, urinary, and gynecological cancers.
With almost 20 members, this growing team conducts both interventional and non-interventional clinical trials for approximately 30 sub-investigators and primary investigators; medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and gynecological oncologists. Doctors coordinate with the team to get their patients into these trials.
At any given time, ACCRU has between 45 to 55 clinical trials in start up and 20 to 25 active clinical trials. Their goal is to bring innovative therapies to Nova Scotia, often making the province the first in the world to access groundbreaking treatments. The team is leading the way on a new clinical trial network structure led by the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub that is the result of significant strategic investments to accelerate access to the best studies on offer from around the world. The result is the ability to connect to oncology clinical trials anywhere in the province and receive care closer to home.
One of ACCRU’s successes involves a trial that they’re running for metastatic breast cancer. They’re tied as the top recruiter in North America for this trial, and the results have been very positive so far. “If we weren’t running this trial, the drug would not have been available to these patients otherwise,” said Alison Avery, Research Manager.
ACCRU has had a major impact on other cancer treatments, including global first trials for medications. “When immunotherapy was first making its way into cancer care, our patients went on several different trials and had tremendous responses. In fact, there are some patients alive today that wouldn't have survived without the clinical trials. Now, drugs such as Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab are used in treatment all over the world,” said Beaton.
Another example of ACCRU’s major successes is their current work on the AZUR-2 study, an immunotherapy drug being trialed to treat locally advanced MSI-H colorectal cancer. This study is a global first, with the first patient in the world being put on this trial in Nova Scotia. This monumental accomplishment wouldn’t be possible without the ACCRU team’s hard work.
“We’re putting Halifax and Nova Scotia on the map as a place to bring top tier oncology treatments,” said Beaton.
The team’s efforts were also recognized by the Canadian Cancer Trial Group for their exceptional work on a metastatic prostate cancer study. And Heather Beaton received an award for excellence in research from the Department of Medicine, highlighting the team's dedication to advancing cancer treatment.
In addition to accessing new treatment options, patients also gain direct access to the ACCRU team for care. "Patients often like being a part of a clinical trial because they have a direct phone number to us. They have real support and someone to get a hold of. They feel really well taken care of,” said Avery. ACCRU's patient-centered approach helps individuals navigate their cancer journey with confidence and support.
ACCRU intends to keep pushing their clinical cancer care forward to further increase positive outcomes for patients. “I would like to see us consistently have studies open in every single disease site that’s represented by the cancer site team. And going beyond that, I would love to have studies going for every stage of cancer,” said Beaton. “We have a great team, and I’d like to continue to see us grow.”
Their dedication, innovation and commitment to excellence provides hope to those facing a battle against cancer. As Beaton puts it, "research is care," and ACCRU is leading the path towards better treatments and a brighter future for cancer patients.
Clinical studies help translate research into potentially life-changing therapies that can help you, your friends and your loved ones, but research can’t happen without you. Sign up for Nova Studies Connect today: www.novastudiesconnect.ca
