Moving Beyond the Momentum: Innovative Approaches to Clinical Trial Implementation

Despite efforts to enhance enrollment and the merger of national cooperative groups, < 5% of patients with cancer will enroll into a clinical trial. Additionally, clinical trials are affected by a lack of diversity inclusive of minority patients, rural residents, or low-income individuals. COVID-19 further exacerbated known barriers of reduced physician-patient interaction, physician availability, trial activation and enrollment, financial resources, and capacity for conducting research. Based on the cumulative insight of academic and community clinical researchers, we have created a white paper identifying existing challenges in clinical trial conduct and have provided specific recommendations of sustainable modifications to improve efficiency in the activation and conduct of clinical trials with an overarching goal of providing improved access and care to our patients with cancer.

Automated summary

Despite efforts to improve enrollment and diversity in clinical trials, less than 5% of cancer patients participate in trials, and COVID-19 has exacerbated existing barriers. Academic and community researchers have created a white paper with recommendations to enhance efficiency in trial activation and conduct, aiming to provide better access and care for cancer patients.