A new Angus Reid poll finds nine-in-ten Canadians support increasing access to clinical trials for cancer patients.

The poll, in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society, comes as 80% believe these sorts of experimental treatments offer new medicine otherwise unavailable to most cancer patients.

Clinical trials are approved by a research ethics board and Health Canada reviews the clinical trials protocol.

Despite this, Canadians remain concerned of the potential risks that they may pose, with two-thirds (67%) believing clinical trials may have bad side effects.

The poll found many would be hesitant to enroll in a clinical trial were they diagnosed with cancer due to the potential side effects (74%) and distrust of unproven treatments (66%).

Meanwhile, a majority (56%) say they've heard of clinical trials but don't know much about it, while more than one-third (36%) say they know nothing at all about them.

About 7% say they know a lot about them, while only 1% have participated in one themselves.

The online survey was conducted from Jan. 10-17 among a randomized sample of 2,044 Canadian adults.

For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.