Participation in Cancer Clinical Trials: Researching the Causes of Low Accrual

Clinical trials offer seriously ill patients a chance at receiving investigative therapies containing new or innovative treatments for cancer. These trials can yield extremely valuable information regarding optimal therapies for specific cancers. Yet it’s baffling to consider the fact that less than 5% of adults with cancer participate in clinical trials. And even more baffling is the fact that despite enrollment in clinical trials, almost one in five publicly funded clinical trials in oncology fails to recruit enough participants to provide reliable data. As oncology advanced practitioners, we sometimes care for patients on clinical trials. Those of us who work in academic or community centers are familiar with the rigors and characteristics of clinical trial participation. Still others of us will help patients obtain referrals to clinical trials offered by other institutions. Caring for patients on clinical trials requires adherence to strict guidelines and reportage.