Why are clinical trials important?
Clinical trials are the key to progress in cancer care. Even though clinical research is critical in raising the bar in cancer care, as recently as the year 2000, only about 3% of adult cancer patients in the United States were enrolled in clinical trials (1, 2).
When adult participation in cancer clinical trials is high, as has been true with diabetes(3), we see progress that improves survival and quality of life.
Consider a dramatic example of the impact of clinical research on a particular type of cancer, in this case childhood leukemia. Faced with the reality of the high death rate associated with childhood leukemia some years ago, desperate parents consented to their children’s participation in clinical trials in such large numbers that a largely fatal disease was transformed into a disease that is 75% curable. In contrast, there has not been a widespread, concerted effort to make clinical trials a first-line treatment priority in adults diagnosed with cancer.
Every new drug and device is the result of a complex development process that ends with a series of clinical trials prior to introducing a new product.
The current standard of care is the result of clinical trials. Without clinical trials, there would be no progress in preventing and treating cancer.
Most cancers that are detected in later stages can not be cured. Intensified clinical research efforts, especially for breast and colorectal cancer in recent years, have led to the discovery of new drugs and drug combinations that have significantly improved survival and quality of life.
