Excessive test costs in clinical research protocols

The escalation of health care costs has become an essential part of clinical research. Some clinical research protocols appear to require excessive laboratory testing. A review of an adjuvant breast cancer trial compared the costs of the required laboratory tests to those deemed "essential" to meet the goals of the study. A reduction of 59% in the laboratory tests over 6 1/2 years was accomplished. It is apparent that a significant reduction in cost can be accomplished. With such efforts, greater participation in clinical trials might occur. These observations are relevant in cancer education programs that involve patients on research protocols.