Decision-making process in patients before entering phase III cancer clinical trials: a pilot study

The present study was performed to gain insight into the decision-making process that patients go through when asked to participate in a cancer clinical trial. Fourteen cancer patients entered a pilot study concerning decision making. They were interviewed in a semistructured manner after consenting or refusing to participate in a randomized phase III clinical trial concerning chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Results from this study showed that patients, after receiving information from the medical oncologist, oncology nurse, or both, decide about participation instantaneously. This means that time for procedural soundness has not been used, which raises questions about the normative quality of the decision.