The Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) in London recently published a report on reduced incidence of cancer patients in clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as suggestions for overcoming specific barriers.
The Doctors of the Therapeutic Clinic of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Stavroula Pashou (Assistant Professor of Endocrinology), Theodora Psaltopoulou (Professor of Therapeutic-Preventive Medicine) and Thanos Dimopoulos-Professor of EKPA of this report.
The data analyzed show that the number of cancer patients who participated in clinical trials in England decreased to 27,734 in the academic year 2020-2021, from 67,057 which was the annual average of the previous 3 years. In fact, the number decreased significantly for almost every type of cancer. Interestingly, poorer patients and those belonging to ethnic minorities were less likely to have access to clinical trials. Looking at the reasons for this decline, the ICR reported findings that show that the problems with placing clinical trials in cancer patients are long-term and go beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, which simply made them more pronounced and visible.
These problems can be summarized as follows:
– There is an excessive administrative burden, which requires many man-hours of trained staff.
– The National System of England (NHS), but also other systems such as the Greek NSS, do not have the appropriate structures for rapid genetic testing of patients that will allow their sorting and participation in medical precision tests in a timely manner.
Funding for clinical trials varies from hospital to hospital, which means that some patients systematically miss out on this opportunity.
– The information provided for clinical trials to patients and doctors is often insufficient or difficult to understand, while in some Hospitals it is not available at all.
The ICR warns that without urgent and effective action, so that clinical trials are more widely available and earlier, huge opportunities for improving patients’ clinical outcomes could be lost.
It therefore proposes the following:
– Financial investments in the field of oncology studies by any competent relevant body, public or private.
– Rationalization and simplification of regulations and procedures, making it easier and faster for patients to be integrated, as well as for their effective monitoring.
– A campaign to inform patients and doctors, so that clinical trials are not considered as the last resort but as a viable alternative to existing treatments.
– Clinical trial information should be up-to-date, understandable and easily accessible.
Addressing inequality issues by ensuring access to geographical areas or populations that are not systematically served to date.
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