title: Enrollment in clinical cancer trials: how are we doing and what are the obstacles to improving enrollment rates? A 2-year retrospective review of pediatric cancer trial enrollment in New Zealand.
abstract: Clinical trials contribute to the establishment of the best therapy for children with cancer. This study looks at rates of enrollment in therapeutic clinical trials over a 2-year period in New Zealand and examines the reasons for nonenrollment. All new diagnoses of cancer in children aged 16 or younger over the period of 1 January, 2009 to 31 December, 2010 were identified through the New Zealand Child Cancer Registry. Clinical trial enrollment status was identified from the medical records. For those not enrolled, the reason for nonenrollment was ascertained. A total of 28% of children diagnosed with cancer who received chemotherapy with curative intent in this time period were enrolled on clinical trials. The 2 most common reasons for nonenrollment in this study were that no study was open locally in which to enroll children (27%) or that previously open-clinical trials were closed to accrual at the time of the child's diagnosis (20%). In New Zealand, enrollment rates on clinical trials for children with cancer are lower than expected.
authors.affiliation: *Children's Haematology and Oncology Centre, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch ‡Starship Blood and Cancer Centre, Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand †Children's Cancer Centre, Royal Children's Hospital, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dodgshun
authors.forename: Mandy P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: De Silva
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bradbeer
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cross
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009520:New Zealand; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents