What progress is being made in recruiting teenagers and young adults to take part in clinical trials, as outlined in the Wales Cancer Improvement Plan 2023-2026?
The Health and Care Research Wales Plan outlines a number of activities, aligned with the UK Clinical Research Vision, and the NHS Wales Framework for Research and Development, to embed clinical research across the NHS, making participation in research as easy as possible.
£16m of Health and Care Research Wales’ annual budget is distributed to NHS organisations to enable them to deliver a range of research studies across a broad range of disease areas. We want people, including teenagers and young adults, to have access to research studies across all conditions including cancer.
Health and Care Research Wales has funded a pan-Wales research specialty lead to champion paediatric research across the NHS to stimulate interest in the uptake of research across organisations, and attract paediatric research studies to Wales.
There are seven cancer research studies in Wales, which are open to teenagers and young adults. These range from trials looking at the cause and molecular genetics of cancers, to testing cancer treatments and their reactions, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and cancer drugs.
Health and Care Research Wales also co-funds the Cardiff Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) with Cancer Research UK, which enables access to early-stage clinical trials and the translation of scientific discoveries into new cancer treatments. Our investment also supports the Welsh arm of the paediatric ECMC network in the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales, which has a committed and established medical and research team, a trial coordinator, and a data manager offering children and young people opportunities to participate in clinical trials.
Research is a key part of the Welsh Government’s Tackling Cancer Initiative and improving access to commercial cancer clinical trials is built into the implementation plans.