According to a survey conducted by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), only 4 percent of all cancer patients enroll in clinical trials each year. The study analyzed more than 2,000 Americans, comprising of 6o0 doctors. Just 40% revealed a positive outlook on clinical trials, and only 35% said they would participate in one reported MSK. Over 900 clinical trails will be administered by MSK this year.
But the reality is that advances in cancer research are the result of successful clinical trials. Progress relies on continued studies needing patient participants. “When it comes to advancing cancer care, clinical research is the rocket fuel for better treatments, more accurate diagnoses, and, ultimately, cures,” maintained MSK Physician-in-Chief José Baselga. “If this trend of low enrollment continues, we will face a crisis in cancer research and discovery. Further education is the key to participation and progress.”
But once respondents of the survey were educated on how clinical trials operate, nearly half changed their perspective. The challenge then for health care professionals is to demystify the process and debunk current misconceptions while informing patients of the trials’ necessity.
A host of mental blocks presented themselves. About 55% of subjects were worried about side effects and 50% were concerned about insurance and out of pocket expenses. Inconvenience of trial locations (48%), worries about attaining a placebo (46%), skepticism over the treatment (35%), and the stigma of feeling like a test subject (34%) were the issues noted.
And physicians don’t view respect them either. In fact, 28% of clinicians said that trials are “a treatment of last resort.” “Failing to consider clinical trials at every stage of cancer diagnosis and treatment can represent a missed opportunity, primarily for patients, as well as for doctors and researchers trying to develop better therapies,” says Paul Sabbatini, Deputy Physician-in-Chief for Clinical Research at MSK, and that “It’s critical that we spread the word that there are options to consider early on.”
Expanding enrollment and changing negative viewpoints requires education for patients and medical professionals.
Jennifer Carrieri, who participated in a clinical trial for multiple myeloma said, “I really did not have any awareness of clinical trials at all.” But when she was instructed on the inner workings of the trial, she felt more at ease. Jennifer says, “I was very comfortable enrolling… There was nothing to be afraid of.”