Are under-represented In different forms of cancer clinical trials

Different forms of cancer with a high burden of disease of received the clinical trial investment that they, according to a study in the medical journal of Australia do not require.

Dr. Rachel Dear, a medical oncologist and doctoral student at the University of Sydney, and co-authors used data from the Australian New Zealand clinical trials registry to explore the association between cancer clinical trial activity, burden of disease and sponsorship resources.

"Four of the five forms of cancer that result in the greatest burden of the disease had relatively few clinical trials (lung, colorectal, prostate, and pancreatic cancer)," said Dr. Dear.

"We found that the number of experiments for each type of cancer do not always correspond to the burden of disease caused by cancer, allowing the identification of gaps in cancer screening tests," said Dr. Dear.

Of 386 Interventional cancer open trials recruitment in Australia, breast cancer accounted for 62 tests. However, only 24 were tests on lung cancer, despite being responsible for the greatest burden of the disease.

Dr. Dear found that sponsorship industry is more likely for randomised controlled trials that systemic therapies (drug or biological agents) for patients with advanced cancers studies.

"Clinical trial registries are a largely untapped source to describe the clinical research landscape and guiding future trial activity," she said.

In an accompanying editorial said Professor Ian Olver of the Cancer Council Australia, study the result of the international situation, where investment in testing for specific types of cancer is not with the burden of disease caused by these cancers correlate does.

Data from clinical trial registries have many applications. Clinicians and patients can seek trial options for specific conditions as standard treatments have been exhausted, or if there is no effective treatment exists, Professor Olver said.

"Data from clinical trial registers should be used to track the progress of these efforts to ensure that Australia has a robust clinical trial capacity."

Source
Medical Journal of Australia