There is a shortage of participants for cancer clinical trials

Despite the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) launching numerous awareness campaigns, it seems that most patients don’t know the importance of the disease. cancer clinical trialsAvailable to them.

Although clinical trials are the only way to test new treatments and medications for cancer, the AACR states that less than five percent of patients opt to participate in them. A similar report shows that 75% of cancer patients would be willing to take part if informed about clinical trials. Is there a reason for this disconnect?

“There are some barriers to participating in clinical trials despite the possibilities. Insurance doesn’t always cover involvement in trials, and some physicians advise older patients against participating,”Oncologist Dr. Stephen D. Nimer is the Vice Chair of Leukemia Service at the Department of Medicine Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. “But a great deal of medical research refutes both of those objections.”

Nimer cites studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association that show patients who are enrolled in trials do not necessarily have higher treatment costs.

“Most patients diagnosed with cancer are 65 and older, yet that age group is extremely underrepresented in cancer trials. Evidence is growing that reasonably fit seniors can undergo aggressive chemotherapy just as well as younger adults,”Nimer spoke recently about treatment advances for myelodysplastic (MDS), in an interview with Hildy from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

MDS can cause immature blood cells to accumulate in bone marrow. This causes a shortage of platelets and red blood cells. MDS is often an indicator of certain leukemias.

MDS treatment options may soon be improved with new drugs

Horizon — There are drugs being tested in drug phase 3 clinical trials such as rigosertib. Onconova Therapeutics’ Na is currently being tested at many centers around the globe. ONTIME is a clinical trial that targets MDS patients who haven’t responded to any previous treatment.

Ask your doctor about clinical trial options, especially if you have advanced cancer. Learn more about the MDS clinical trial with rigosertib at mdsclinicaltrial.com.