Open AccessPatterns of Enrollment in Cancer Treatment Trials During the COVID-19 Pandemic at National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Centers
Author(s) -
Sheila A. Prindiville,
Gisele Sarosy,
David S. Loose,
Henry P. Ciolino,
James H. Doroshow
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
the cancer journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.825
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1540-336X
pISSN - 1528-9117
DOI - 10.1097/ppo.0000000000000578
Subject(s) - pandemic , clinical trial , cancer , medicine , covid-19 , family medicine , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented strain on enrollment to cancer clinical trials and their conduct. Here, we highlight an analysis using information from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Clinical Trials Reporting Program database to describe enrollment patterns to interventional cancer treatment trials at NCI-Designated Cancer Centers during the pandemic. Enrollment to cancer treatment trials at NCI-Designated Cancer Centers decreased precipitously early in the pandemic and has not yet fully returned to the 2019 baseline as of mid-2021. We discuss possible reasons for this and how some of the changes in clinical trial conduct implemented during the pandemic may become part of the standard conduct of NCI-supported clinical trials and broaden access to trials.