The first patient has commenced treatment for a new cancer research trial being conducted at Northern Beaches Hospital.
The AdvanTIG-205 trial is for people with newly diagnosed advanced lung cancer and will assess adding a new immunotherapy drug to a three-drug chemotherapy plus immunotherapy backbone.
Trial clinical lead, Dr Tony Mersiades said the study is a randomised, placebo-controlled trial which will compare Ociperlimab (or placebo) in combination with tislelizumab and chemotherapy, as initial treatment for people with advanced lung cancer.
61-year-old Nicoline Toepfer, from Warriewood is the first patient to receive treatment after she was referred by her local general practitioner.
She started treatment just weeks after being diagnosed with lung cancer in late September 2022.
“I was only diagnosed a few weeks after I accidentally swallowed water the wrong way and ended up having a coughing fit, resulting in excruciating pain, I thought I’d broken a rib,” Ms Toepfer said.
“They did a whole lot of tests and found that I had lung cancer which had already spread to my bones.”
Prior to this study opening, residents on the Northern Beaches were required to travel to other centres for the opportunity to participate in this type of study and for many, the travel requirements were too much.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to take part in this trial,” said Ms Toepfer.
“The team here at NBH are fantastic, looking after me really well.”
NBH Head of Oncology Department, Dr Antonia Pearson said the study was an important milestone in the development of oncology research on the Beaches.
“It is the first large cancer study available for patients living on the Beaches and it has been made possible by the generous support of organisations like Fight on the Beaches and Northern Beaches Community Cancer Charity,” she said.
“These charities funded equipment including -80 degree and -20 degree freezers and centrifuge as well as the funds for two clinical trials coordinators. We simply could not do it without community support.
With a new clinical trials unit at NBH, patients will now have more opportunity to participate in trials using the most promising new treatments.
Pauline Sorbello| Northern Beaches Hospital