Novel Therapies in Cancer: Trials and Tribulations

Saiama N Waqar1, Ramaswamy Govindan1

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

Insights

Low participation in cancer clinical trials, affecting only 7.1% of patients in the US, hinders therapeutic advancements. This review explores the reasons for poor patient accrual and proposes solutions to improve enrollment in cancer research.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Clinical trials are essential for developing new cancer treatments.
  • Patient participation in US clinical trials remains low at 7.1%.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify key barriers to patient accrual in cancer clinical trials.
  • To discuss potential strategies for enhancing clinical trial participation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on clinical trial participation barriers.
  • Analysis of factors contributing to low accrual rates.

Main Results:

  • Identification of multiple reasons for poor patient enrollment.
  • Discussion of actionable solutions to improve participation.

Conclusions:

  • Addressing barriers to clinical trial participation is crucial for advancing cancer therapeutics.
  • Implementing proposed solutions could significantly increase patient enrollment in cancer research.

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