Dearth of Patient Volunteers Cripples Cancer Research

Cancer death rates have changed little in the past 40 years, and one big reason often goes unremarked on, experts say: only 3% of adult cancer patients participate in studies of treatments, the New York Times reports. More than a fifth of trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute couldn’t enroll a single subject, doctors found. “We can’t improve survival unless we test new treatments against established ones,” says one doc.

A number of hurdles make research difficult. For one thing, doctors who encourage patients to participate can actually lose money by not administering chemotherapy. And patients who learn they have a life-threatening disease may be in no position to invest themselves in a trial. What to do? Experts recommend offering doctors and perhaps patients better financial benefits for involvement in trials, and making trials more efficient so fewer subjects are needed.
(More cancer research stories.)