Harmonising clinical trials within the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup: consensus and unmet needs from the Fifth...

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Clinical Trial Design
• Ovarian Cancer Research

Background:

• The Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) convened the Fifth Ovarian Cancer Consensus Conference (OCCC) in Tokyo, Japan (November 7-9, 2015).
• The conference aimed to establish international consensus on critical issues in ovarian cancer research and clinical trial design.
• Fifteen key questions across four topic areas were addressed, reflecting the mission to improve clinical trial design.

Framework:

• A pre-established methodology was employed to achieve consensus among participating groups.
• All 29 GCIG clinical trial groups contributed to program development and deliberations.
• Consensus statements were refined through topic group discussions and a plenary forum.

Implementation:

• Draft consensus statements were deliberated in topic-specific groups and a plenary session.
• Final statements underwent voting by all 29 GCIG member groups to document consensus levels.
• Full consensus was achieved on 11 out of 15 statements.

Implications:

• A high acceptance rate (28/29 groups for 3 statements, 27/29 for 1 statement) was observed.
• The consensus highlights shared research questions and critical unmet needs in ovarian cancer.
• These findings will guide future research directions and clinical trial design in ovarian cancer.