FAQs

Looking for more details about using the COMET Clinical Trials Consortium (CCTC) website? Here are answers to our most frequently asked questions.

How does the COMET Clinical Trials Consortium (CCTC) work?

The CCTC works to connect oncologists and cancer research professionals to information about the latest clinical trials available in Ontario, Canada and facilitates e-referrals between institutions.

 

ClinicalTrials.gov is a main source of information for registered clinical trials. However, it is not guaranteed that the name of the specific recruiting institution and contact information for the principal investigator is listed, hindering efficient and timely referrals. The CCTC acts as a solution by obtaining this information directly from sites.

 

If one or more clinical trials are open to recruitment at your institution, register as a member and create a posting for each trial by providing a few quick and easy pieces of information. All trial postings are approved by our Project Manager and are then visible to others in our network who search our database. E-referrals can be sent directly to the principle investigator (PI) and clinical research staff member at the recruiting institution, as this information is tied to the trial posting.

Who has access to the CCTC?

Oncologists who treat patients and/or are principal investigators for clinical trials at Ontario sites, oncology fellows, physicians, and supporting staff such as clinical research coordinators and nurses have access to the CCTC. At this time, membership is limited to those in Ontario. Patients are not granted access to the site.

My institution does not offer clinical trials. Can I still join?

All oncologists are encouraged to register as a CCTC member, regardless of whether they are offering trials at their site, as access to the website allows them to search for open trials for their patients and send e-referrals to those institutions.

Who needs to be registered in order to post a trial on the website?

We require that both the principle investigator and one clinical research staff member register as members of the COMET Trials website before creating a trial posting. This ensures that the right contact information for the appropriate staff is displayed on the trial posting, which is crucial to facilitate timely e-referrals from other members across our network.

How can I further get the word out about open trials at my institution?

After posting your trial onto the website, you can nominate it as a Trial of the Month, which will be featured in a designated sections of our monthly newsletter that is distributed across our network, as well as on the Search Trials page of the website. A few reasons to nominate a trial include: one that has just opened to recruitment, one that is struggling to recruit its target numbers, or to alert the network that a trial will be closing soon for recruitment and/or few spots are left.

 

If you have a clinical trial that you would like featured in our newsletter, please e-mail the COMET Project Manager at [email protected]

“As a community oncologist, the COMET Clinical Trials Consortium (CCTC) is an invaluable tool. It provides a quick, comprehensive and user-friendly platform to search for relevant trials for a patient, as well as contacts for the trials team. Not only does it save a significant amount of time, I can be confident that I am not missing opportunities for my patients.”

Dr. Sara Rask

Medical Oncologist, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre