CURating Clinical Trials: Helping Patients Find Hope Through Clinical Trial Opportunities
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Challenges Theme
Open Challenge
Faculty Sponsor
Caroline Hamm
Proposal
Clinical trials (CTs) are essential to the advancement of clinical therapies. However, only 5% of cancer patients enroll in CTs due to limited accessibility. Given that greater participation in CTs is associated with better patient outcomes, patients from smaller centers are at a disadvantage. The Clinical Trials Navigator (CTN) program was established by Hamm (2022) to help patients in smaller communities navigate and enroll in CTs. Between March 2019 to September 2022, 241 patients were enrolled in the CTN program. CTNs receive referrals, review medical information, and search five CT registries. Eligibility criteria is scrutinized. A second review of the CT list is conducted by two physicians. This updated study found that 75.9% of patients were in stage IV of their disease, and 51% had at least two prior lines of therapy. 61.4% of patients deceased at last follow up, with a median of 5.9 months from CTN program referral to death. CTNs identified a median of three trials for each patient. 25.5% of patients referred to a CT enrolled onto the recommended trial. The expanded CTN program resulted in CT enrolment of 8.5% of total patient data-base. The CTN program is a successful tool to identify CTs for cancer patients and improve CT accrual, as one quarter of patients referred to a CT by the CTN program have successfully enrolled. Further investigation into reasoning for early high mortality rates should be assessed. New initiatives to improve uptake of the CTN program are ongoing.
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
CURating Clinical Trials: Helping Patients Find Hope Through Clinical Trial Opportunities
Clinical trials (CTs) are essential to the advancement of clinical therapies. However, only 5% of cancer patients enroll in CTs due to limited accessibility. Given that greater participation in CTs is associated with better patient outcomes, patients from smaller centers are at a disadvantage. The Clinical Trials Navigator (CTN) program was established by Hamm (2022) to help patients in smaller communities navigate and enroll in CTs. Between March 2019 to September 2022, 241 patients were enrolled in the CTN program. CTNs receive referrals, review medical information, and search five CT registries. Eligibility criteria is scrutinized. A second review of the CT list is conducted by two physicians. This updated study found that 75.9% of patients were in stage IV of their disease, and 51% had at least two prior lines of therapy. 61.4% of patients deceased at last follow up, with a median of 5.9 months from CTN program referral to death. CTNs identified a median of three trials for each patient. 25.5% of patients referred to a CT enrolled onto the recommended trial. The expanded CTN program resulted in CT enrolment of 8.5% of total patient data-base. The CTN program is a successful tool to identify CTs for cancer patients and improve CT accrual, as one quarter of patients referred to a CT by the CTN program have successfully enrolled. Further investigation into reasoning for early high mortality rates should be assessed. New initiatives to improve uptake of the CTN program are ongoing.