Working Life: With more clinical trials, Ireland's cancer patients can get tomorrow's treatments today

Angela Clayton-Lea, CEO of Cancer Trials Ireland

Angela Clayton-Lea, CEO, Cancer Trials Ireland

“In career terms, I did things in reverse. I got married, had kids and then, aged 30, went to Trinity College Dublin to study radiotherapy for four years. It was a privilege to attend university full-time, made possible through the support of my husband, Tony, who took on school runs and after-school care. Upon entering the workforce, I hit the ground running and progressed very quickly.

“I started as a radiation therapist in St Luke’s Hospital, Rathgar, in 2004 and loved my work. It combined a highly technical role with a strong focus on holistic, patient-centred care, and I gained invaluable research experience. For me, the patient has always been at the heart of everything.

“After six years, I moved into radiotherapy management and progressed to director of operational services for the St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network. In 2019, I moved to Tallaght University Hospital, becoming chief operating officer in 2022. The following year, I became COO at Cancer Trials Ireland (CTI) — the national cancer clinical trials organisation. I’ve had a strong interest in research since my earliest days in St Luke’s, so I jumped at the chance to lead CTI, becoming CEO in 2025.

“My clinical background gives me a good understanding of what cancer patients experience during treatment and what it means to them to have access to clinical trials.

“Clinical trials offer patients hope and access to tomorrow’s treatments today: new drugs, surgical techniques, advanced radiotherapy, and medical devices. Every drug in use today was developed through clinical trials.

“CTI’s mission is to maximise cancer patients’ access to high-quality, potentially life-altering clinical trials. We currently have 137 trials open in Ireland — Denmark, with a similar population, has over 280. We need more trials.

“The National Cancer Strategy target is for 6% of cancer patients to participate in interventional clinical trials — currently, that figure stands at 2.7%. Every cancer patient in Ireland who could benefit from a trial should have that opportunity.

“CTI is part-funded by the Health Research Board and the Irish Cancer Society, with philanthropy playing a vital role in helping us open more trials.”

• To mark International Clinical Trials Day, Cancer Trials Ireland is hosting a free webinar “Let’s Talk Trials: All You Need to Know About Cancer Trials” on Friday, May 22, at 2.30pm. Featuring doctor and patient perspectives, registration is open at cancertrials.ie/letstalktrials