Ethics of social and behavioural research in cancer

Unlike biomedical research, social and behavioural research has not been thought to require rigorous or mandatory ethical review on the assumption that it can do no harm. As a result, little or no attention is paid to its involvement in health researches. This paper discusses the ethical challenges of social and behavioural research in cancer to identify potential areas for research. Inferences were made from documentary analysis of characteristics of cancer patients. A total of 76 papers were reviewed covering the period from1960 to 2007. The data shows that conducting social and behavioural research on cancer patients in Africa is associated with ethical challenges. These include; respect for person and autonomy, risk minimization, exploitation, inducement and compensation, benefit sharing, gaining access to participant, third party issue, informed consent, coercion, discrimination, conflict of interest and scientific misconduct. The paper concludes that cultural challenges of cancer research, management and administration of informed consent, access to research participant, compensation of research participant and benefit sharing are major potential areas of research.