Programme Accès-recherche

Launched in partnership with the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation, the Programme Accès-recherche Dr. André-Robidoux aims to increase

• the number of hospital centres in Quebec participating in clinical trials and
• the number of breast cancer clinical trials at centers already performing these trials for the benefit of all patients, especially those living outside of major urban areas.

This Program is made possible thanks to a 2.5M$ donation from the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. It enables more patients to access advance treatments and therefore, increases not only their chances of survival but also their quality of life during and after treatments. The goal is to bring clinical research closer to the patients while allowing them to stay in their region, close to their loved ones.

The Programme Accès-recherche Dr. André-Robidoux has first been implemented in regional hospitals already active in breast cancer clinical research. Thus the CIUSSS-de-l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont) was the very first institution to join the Group in April 2017 thanks to this program, followed by the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke in May 2018.  The Program is now gradually extended to other hospitals to enable them to offer more clinical trials for the benefit of their patients. Since July 2021, four other institutions already active in clinical research have joined the Group as Affiliate members: the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal – St Mary’s Hospital, the CISSS de Montérégie-Centre – Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne, the CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean – Hôpital de Chicoutimi and the CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal – Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur-de-Montréal. When needed, hospitals are offered support to assist them in conducting these studies locally, for example through Good Clinical Practice trainings or medical mentorship focused on the research protocols conducted within the consortium.

Hospitals participating in the Programme Accès-recherche Dr. André-Robidoux benefit from the Group’s expertise and appeal to pharmaceutical companies and sponsors that are funding those clinical trials.

The addition of these hospitals contributes to the creation of a multi-institutional network and results in the attraction of more clinical trials by the Group. Our objective is that this initiative will allow the integration of clinical research in the regional hospitals’ health-care programs in order to offer more breast cancer patients the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial throughout Quebec.

As underligned by Karine-Iseult Ippersiel, CEO of the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation “The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation is proud to support the Programme Accès-recherche Dr. André-Robidoux, a great example of a unique collaboration in Quebec. It is an innovative way to increase access to clinical research all the while supporting the development and excellence in the clinical practice of breast cancer.”

Objective 2023: The objective of the Group is to extend its action throughout Quebec by developing a partnership with at least one hospital per region by 2023.

“Mr. Sirois and Ms. McPeak have achieved a major accomplishment by bringing together the four major hospitals active in breast cancer. With the Programme Accès-recherche Dr. André-Robidoux, other regional centers will join and will be able to integrate high-level clinical research programs into their treatments.”
Dr. André Robidoux, Founding President of the Scientific Committee, CHUM