By Admin at 22 Jun 2016, 10:41 AM

The majority of Americans are unwilling to participate in clinical trials, according to a survey commissioned by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Even among people with cancer, only 4 percent enroll in clinical trials.

The lack of participation, often driven by fear and misconceptions, means that not only are patients missing out on potentially helpful novel treatments, but it also can act as a setback for researchers trying to improve treatments and find cures for cancer and other diseases.

According to the survey, which included over 1,500 adults between the ages of 18 and 69, only four in 10 Americans see clinical trials in a positive light, and only one-third of Americans would actually participate in them. Top concerns reported about clinical trials included:

• Safety
• Side effects
• Insurance coverage
• Out-of-pocket costs
• Location of the trial
• Receiving a placebo (instead of an active treatment)
• Skepticism about unproven treatments

However, many of these concerns come from a lack of information. In fact, after survey respondents were given information to read about clinical trials, positive impressions rose 20 percent.

The survey included 600 doctors and found they often don’t tell patients about clinical trials during early stages of treatment. There are many clinical trials that enroll patients soon after diagnosis, but 56 percent of doctors only tell patients to consider a clinical trial later on in their treatment.

Further, 28 percent of doctors said they only tell patients about clinical trials as a last resort, when they’re out of other options. As Dr. Paul Sabbatini, deputy physician-in-chief for clinical research at Memorial Sloan Kettering, argued:

“While concerns regarding clinical trials are understandable, it is critical that the cancer community address common myths and misunderstandings around issues like effectiveness, safety, use of placebo, and at which point in treatment a trial should be considered.”

Only 32 percent of doctors talk to their patients about clinical trials early on in their treatment, which means many cancer patients may miss out on enrollment opportunities. Dr. Sabbatini continued:

"It's critical that we spread the word: Clinical trials offer our best thinking toward finding better ways to prevent, treat and cure cancer, and there are options for patients and their families to consider early on in treatment."

If you’re a cancer patient, or know a cancer patient, consider asking your doctor about any clinical trials you may qualify for, and find out as much information as you can about those trials.

You can also search online. ClinicalTrials.gov, which is a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, allows you to search for clinical trials accepting participants or use the National Cancer Institute to find NCI-supported clinical trials in your area.

EmergingMed also offers a free matching service for cancer patients looking for clinical trials. There are other options as well, including:

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Clinical Trials
• Cancer Treatment Centers of America Clinical Trials
• Northwestern Medicine Clinical Trials
• American Cancer Society Clinical Trials Matching Service

Source
U.S News & World Report June 2, 2016

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