CCTG recognizes June as National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month

Dear colleagues,

June marks both National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month. It is a time to learn about and honour the diverse cultures, histories, and experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, and to celebrate the strength, resilience, and contributions of 2SLGBTQI+ communities. It is also an opportunity to reflect on our shared responsibility to advance equitable, inclusive, and culturally safe clinical trial design and conduct.

CCTG is committed to fostering a research network that is safe, respectful, accessible, and inclusive. Our Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, Indigenization, and Accessibility Policy recognizes that equity, respect for diversity, inclusion, Indigenization, and accessibility are essential to research excellence.

In 2025, CCTG established the Health Equity Committee whose work involves the integration of EDIIA principles and practices across our research, clinical trials, committees, and network activities. We are grateful to the more than 40 network members contributing to this important work, and to all of our network leaders and members for their continuing support of it.

Advancing reconciliation in clinical trials

CCTG recognizes that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in Canada continue to experience inequities in cancer outcomes, including higher cancer incidence and mortality. As part of our commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, we are responding by addressing the harms of past research practices, building trust, and supporting culturally safe and inclusive clinical trials. The group is taking steps to strengthen reconciliation and decolonization education, build relationships with Indigenous partners, support culturally safe and co-designed research, and develop guidance for Indigenous clinical trial data governance.

Improving access to trials for 2SLGBTQI+ communities

2SLGBTQI+ people experience disparities in cancer outcomes compared with heterosexual and cisgender people and continue to face barriers to accessing cancer care and clinical trials. CCTG has taken steps to improve trial inclusivity by updating our generic protocol and informed consent templates, as well as patient-facing materials, to use more inclusive language. We also recognize the importance of considering both sex assigned at birth and gender identity in clinical trial design and analysis, and these variables are now considered in all CCTG-led trials.

CCTG remains committed to working with patient partners and organizations from 2SLGBTQI+ communities to further improve trial inclusivity and access.

CCTG’s SC.32S study, Feasibility, Acceptability and Representativeness: Collecting Sociodemographic Data in CCTG Trials, is collecting sociodemographic data to better understand gaps in trial participation and inform strategies to improve access for underrepresented communities.

Together, we will continue to advance equitable and inclusive access to clinical trials for all people affected by cancer in Canada. 

Janet Dancey, MD, FRCPC
Chair, Canadian Cancer Trials Group