"Improving communication during recruitment to clinical trials of cancer therapy"

Project aims and objectives

The Primary aims of this study are:-

• to improve the communication that takes place when clinical trials are discussed.
• to encourage doctors to approach more of their eligible patients about trial participation.
• to increase the satisfaction of both patients and doctors with the communication when discussing trials.
• to improve accrual of patients to clinical trials of cancer therapy

This will be achieved by first collecting information about patients' and clinicians' attitudes towards trials together with patients' preferences for information via specially designed questionnaires. This information will provide the necessary background which will be needed for our proposed intervention to improve communication and ultimately accrual of patients in randomised and non-randomised clinical trials.

Publications

Clinicians' attitudes to clinical trials of cancer therapy - Eur J Cancer (1997); 33: 2221-9

Attitudes of patients to randomised clinical trials of cancer therapy - Eur J Cancer (1998); 34: 1554-9

How do doctors explain randomised clinical trials to their patients? - Eur J Cancer (1999); 35: 1187-93

Reasons for accepting or declining to participate in randomised clinical trials for cancer therapy - Br J Cancer (2000); 82(11): 1783-88

Results of an intervention study to improve communications about randomised clinical trials of cancer therapy - Eur J Cancer (2001); 37: 322-31

Further information may be obtained from:

Professor Lesley Fallowfield
c/o Cancer Research UK Psychosocial Oncology Group
Department of Oncology
University College London Medical School
3rd Floor, Bland Sutton Institute
48 Riding House Street
London
W1P 7PL
UK