Patients' selection and trial matching in early-phase oncology clinical trials.
Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024;
196:104307. [PMID:
38401694 DOI:
10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104307]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Early-phase clinical trials (EPCT) represent an important part of innovations in medical oncology and a valuable therapeutic option for patients with metastatic cancers, particularly in the era of precision medicine. Nevertheless, adult patients' participation in oncology clinical trials is low, ranging from 2% to 8% worldwide, with unequal access, and up to 40% risk of early discontinuation in EPCT, mostly due to cancer-related complications.
DESIGN
We review the tools and initiatives to increase patients' orientation and access to early phase cancer clinical trials, and to limit early discontinuation.
RESULTS
New approaches to optimize the early-phase clinical trial referring process in oncology include automatic trial matching, tools to facilitate the estimation of patients' prognostic and/or to better predict patients' eligibility to clinical trials. Classical and innovative approaches should be associated to double patient recruitment, improve clinical trial enrollment experience and reduce early discontinuation rates.
CONCLUSIONS
Whereas EPCT are essential for patients to access the latest medical innovations in oncology, offering the appropriate trial when it is relevant for patients should increase by organizational and technological innovations. The oncologic community will need to closely monitor their performance, portability and simplicity for implementation in daily clinical practice.
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