COVID-19 forces us to rethink clinical trials for cancer treatment

In 2018, the American Cancer Society announced vigilance To report Note that 20% of clinical trials failed due to poor patient enrollment, 56% of patients seeking care did not undergo clinical trials in the immediate area, and an additional 17% did not meet eligibility requirements. please. after one year, Improving patient access to cancer clinical trials (IMPACT) The study states that less than 5% of adult patients participate in national clinical trials.

Unfortunately, neither report made a big difference to the system.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has begun to address the critical flaws in the current clinical trials infrastructure, finding ways in which the “process” can evolve so as not to impede discovery, and when treatment is working. Forced the system to assist the patient.

First, we need to remove the old geographical barriers that prevent patients from participating in clinical trials. After COVID-19 was attacked, we were worried that some patients could move to our trial site for treatment. One patient (Hollie) is participating in a breast cancer trial and lives across the west coast. Instead of discontinuing her exams, we were able to transfer her study test to a local hospital and have regular scheduled visits via telemedicine.

Fortunately, at the national level, the Food and Drug Association (FDA) became aware of this flaw and essentially changed the rules on the fly. Comprehensive guide Assist clinical trial sites with guidance on how to protect patient safety while maintaining trial integrity. The guidance provides flexibility to the trial and states that patients will not be disqualified from the trial if treatment shows positive results. Under normal circumstances, this is a refreshing approach for the medical community, as Holly could be disqualified from her trial if she becomes unable to travel. This common sense provision must be made permanent.

The second step is to remove the insurance barriers that prevent you from joining the court. Prior to COVID-19, some clinical trial patients were forced to move from Oklahoma to Chicago Hospital because insurance companies did not recognize Tulsa Hospital as an in-network provider. When COVID-19 was hit, our team tried to convince the provider to change its policy so that this patient could resume treatment at Tulsa instead of driving to a Chicago facility for nearly 12 hours. We have succeeded. However, patients do not have to endure this type of stress, even under normal circumstances. Patients who are out of traditional options do not have to rush insurance coverage when they finally find a potentially life-saving clinical trial.

The third (but ultimately uncertain) step is to improve the way patients are associated with clinical trials. Historically, clinical trials place a great deal of pressure on physicians to identify eligible patients. The process can be slow and inefficient, and can lead to more misses than hits when it comes to finding suitable patients for the study. In the case of Leonard, a retired firefighter who ran into a burning building and spent his life, his doctor gave him six months of life. He decided to seek a second opinion, and his doctor, Dr. Bonilla, found a clinical trial that matched Leonard’s condition. Unfortunately, there are too many stories that patients like Leonard never ask for a second opinion, which raises questions. How can we remove the “chance” from the equation and more efficiently help patients find the right trial?

Enter artificial intelligence (AI). Research published in BMC medical informatics and decision making Using artificial intelligence algorithms, we conclude that “oncology physicians will be more efficient in study screening and will be able to participate in smaller clinics that are often excluded from study enrollment.” Therefore, AI improves patient identification timelines by nearly 90%, virtually eliminating human confusion and potential mistakes caused by pandemics and other variables. It’s time to rely on AI to enroll the right patients faster and more efficiently than the old, cumbersome and inefficient methods of the past.

COVID-19 forces the entire healthcare ecosystem to work closely together to identify creative solutions that go beyond the’normal research’ approach. As we continue to move into the new COVID-19 and beyond, it’s important to begin to embrace a future that can maximize patient outcomes beyond the old protocol. Updating the AI-based approach to patient identification; demanding that data collection works more efficiently. Providing flexibility within the current clinical trials system can potentially increase participation rates and reach their ultimate goals. That is, discovering new, more effective cancer treatments that improve patient outcomes and save lives.