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Barriers to enrollment in non-small cell lung cancer therapeutic clinical trials

Maria Q Baggstrom1, Saiama N Waqar, Ananth K Sezhiyan

  • 1Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA.

Journal of Thoracic Oncology : Official Publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
|December 15, 2010
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Barriers like poor performance status and patient refusal limit lung cancer clinical trial enrollment. Addressing these challenges is key to increasing participation in lung cancer therapeutics research.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Clinical Trials
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality in the US.
  • A small fraction of lung cancer patients enroll in clinical trials.
  • Understanding barriers to participation is critical for advancing lung cancer therapeutics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify barriers to lung cancer clinical trial participation.
  • To analyze reasons for ineligibility and nonenrollment in clinical trials for non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 263 non-small cell lung cancer patients at a cancer center.
  • Analysis of reasons for ineligibility and refusal to enroll in available clinical trials.
  • Data collected included patient demographics, disease characteristics, and insurance status.

Main Results:

  • 101 patients (55.2%) were ineligible, primarily due to poor performance status (18%) or need for emergent radiation (12%).
  • 57 eligible patients (31.1%) did not enroll; common reasons included patient refusal (8.7%), transportation/distance (7.1%), and insurance issues (6%).
  • Only 25 patients (13.7%) were ultimately enrolled in a clinical trial.

Conclusions:

  • Poor performance status, need for emergent radiation, and patient refusal are significant barriers to lung cancer clinical trial enrollment.
  • Addressing logistical and patient-related factors can improve clinical trial participation.
  • Increasing enrollment in lung cancer clinical trials is essential for developing new treatments.

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