Many research groups, including the Cancer Research Foundation of America, are now focusing on ways to increase patient enrollment in these studies. Several prominent scientists, patient advocates and government officials recently convened in Washington to devise better strategies to attract more patients to the study of experimental treatments.
These clinical trials, performed under the auspices of the National Cancer Institute, are the powerful engines that drive discovery of new cancer medications. The most telling example has been the success found in treating pediatric cancers, where cure and survival rates have improved dramatically over the last 20 years. One of the major reasons behind this success has been that 60 percent of all children with cancer have participated in some type of clinical trial. But adult participation is dramatically different, with only 2 to 3 percent of eligible patients signed up for such studies.
Why is this? Many researchers believe there are too many misconceptions about clinical trials. Patients are concerned if they enter a trial that they may be part of the unlucky group that gets the placebo, or “dummy” treatment, and not the real medicine. The truth, however, is that in cancer clinical trials researchers never use a placebo without first giving patients at least the current best standard of care.
There have been problems on the physician side, too. Poor communication between the researchers and clinical doctors has kept patients in the dark about the trials. In addition, these studies are expensive to run. With doctors receiving abysmally low cost reimbursement from insurance companies and the government for monitoring patients on experimental protocols, many physicians can’t afford to participate. Lastly, the consent forms that patients must sign are so long and jargon-filled many don’t sign up because they can’t understand what’s going on.
Still, patients do have options. First, they can ask their physician if they might be eligible for any upcoming clinical trials. They can log on to the clinical trials section of the National Cancer Institute’s Web site, www.cancer.gov/clinical_trials, which gives information about the different trials throughout the country. They can also call the National Cancer Institute at 800-4CANCER.
There is one caveat. While there are hundreds of ongoing trials for different types of cancers, patients must be wary of certain programs that charge to join a trial or provide information about how to enroll in one. There’s enough free information out there that patients don’t have to get caught in some fee-for-service scheme. And before signing any papers or receiving any treatment, it’s always important for cancer sufferers to consult their own physician about their plans. Participating in clinical trials is not a guarantee that patients will benefit from the treatment. There is also a possibility that these experimental treatments can have adverse effects such as hair loss, upset stomach and weakness. However, even when the drug isn’t effective for those participating, it still supplies important information for researchers as they develop new treatments for future cancer patients.
