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COVID-19 studies in development: An overview

Maintaining the best care for patients with cancer
COVID-19 studies in development: An overview

Dear Colleagues:

Across the country, people, patients and health care providers have been directly impacted by preparations and managing the effects of the COVID pandemic. We have all worked to implement measures to reduce risk of infection even as we have tried to maintain the best care for patients with cancer.

For CCTG, we have defined the following priorities

  • To continue to develop and oversee trials of promising treatments for patients with cancer
  • To develop trials and research studies that address key important question specific for patients with cancer patients during the COVID pandemic
  • To support efforts to identify promising COVID treatments relevant for all.

For the first, we have implemented measures to ensure our research activities continue. Information is available at our website. Our aims are to ensure the safety, maintain trial integrity to the extent possible; and continue to develop an exciting trial portfolio for the post COVID period.

For the second, CCTG research studies specifically relevant for patients with cancer are being development. The first trial proposal was submitted today and COVID cohort study focused on patient experience is in developed for launch. Others have contacted us to have indicated they are developing cohort/registry studies.  Please continue to send your ideas as we can assist in development and/or sharing information through the network.

The following is a list cohort studies are in development/underway.

  • US Cancer COVID registry: https://ccc19.org/
  • The NCI is working with ccc19 to develop a natural history study run through the NCTN. At present, the plan is to have this available for interested Canadian centres. More information to come in the next few weeks.
  • ASH Research Collaborative's International Data Registry for Patients With Blood Cancers and COVID-19 https://www.ashresearchcollaborative.org/covid-19-registry.
  • There are Cancer specific cohort initiatives proposed in
    • Quebec,
    • Alberta,
    • BC and Ontario with CCTG and ARCC

On-line researcher forums that aim to work collaboratively on research projects are available.

  • https://cancovid.ca/ Research platform mandated by Canada’s Chief Science Officer to optimize Canada’s research response to the COVID-19 public health crisis.

If you are interested to join: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSckByr0eo2Iy9qUpzbNDqpdS9uUCeJPOwGtCTtBPSVpuvbBWw/viewform

For the third, all trials currently open in Canada testing treatments to prevent or treatment patients with mild/moderate and/or severe COVID infections are listed in the attached spreadsheet. Consider having your institution join these studies and when relevant, approach your patients to join.

Here are the links to Health Canada and Clnicaltrials.gov for COVID trials in Canada.

We will continue to provide information to keep you updated on developments.

Best wishes

Janet Dancey