EC Trial Finder - FAQs

Who has access to EC Trial Finder?

Access to EC Trial Finder is controlled and restricted to NHS staff responsible for matching patients to suitable clinical trials.

Why is the tool not open to patients and public?

EC Trial Finder is for clinical staff only because the tool includes the contact details of study investigators and recruiting sites. It has been designed for clinical staff and so the terminology used is suitable to those responsible for identifying suitable clinical trials for patients.., The up-to-date and accurate information is shared with Cancer Research UK’s ‘Find a Trial’ team who publish the information on the Cancer Research UK clinical trial database designed for a lay audience. This ensures the data provided is accessible and appropriate for the needs of the audience, so that both benefit from the up-to-date information.

Who is leading this project?

Cancer Research UK is leading on this project on behalf of the ECMC network. The ECMC programme office is delivering the project in collaboration with the CRUK technology department and the ECMC network.

Who is in the ECMC network?

The Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) network includes world-leading scientists and clinicians, who drive the discovery, development and testing of new treatments to combat cancer. The centres are jointly funded by Cancer Research UK, the Little Princess Trust, the National Institute for Health Research in England and the Departments of Health for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

When will EC Trial Finder include trials outside of the ECMC network?

At present EC Trial Finder includes early-phase clinical trials that are taking place at sites within the ECMC network. This follows best practice when creating a digital tool – starting small and testing the platform before expanding. During the next phase of the tool’s development,we will explore including trials from outside of the ECMC network, and the set up required to ensure that the all information on EC Trial Finder remains accurate and up-to-date.

Does the database have UK NHS Ethics approval?

As EC Trial Finder is not a research database project, HRA/Ethics approval is not needed. EC Trial Finder is a searchable register of trials.

Is there any commercial involvement?

The project is led by Cancer Research UK. There is no commercial involvement.

What information is included?

Basic trial information is pulled into the tool and updated by the local EC Trial Finder coordinator at each NHS site. It includes high-level trial information and does not include any patient or confidential information. No action is required from the trial sponsor.

The information includes:

  • ECMC location (lead and recruiting site)
  • A unique trial ID (IRAS no#)
  • Full trial title (and acronym if available)
  • Treatment type
  • Age
  • Hyperlink to external trial record (e.g. clinicaltrials.gov.uk)
  • Recruitment status (closed trials are removed from the database)
  • Molecular stratification marker (markers associated with the patient eligibility criteria) and if pre-screening is required
  • Cancer type/s
  • Principle investigator name and contact details
  • Site's primary recruitment contact role, name and contact details
  • Site's secondary recruitment contact role, name and contact details
  • Notes from the site (optional) that could be helpful for recruitment

If you still have questions, please get in touch: ectrialfinder@cancer.org.uk