According to a new survey of more than 1,500 consumers and nearly 600 physicians conducted for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), only 35% of Americans indicated that they were “likely” to enroll in a clinical trial. Clinical research is increasingly dependent upon larger numbers of cancer patients participating. Fortunately, education makes a measurable and immediate difference. After reading a brief statement defining clinical trials, the number of respondents who had a positive impression of these studies jumped significantly, from 40% to 60%.
José Baselga, MD, PhD
“If this trend of low enrollment continues, we will face a crisis in cancer research and discovery. Further education is the key to participation and progress,” said José Baselga, MD, PhD, Physician-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer at MSK. ■
