Brown J M, Haining S A, Hale J M
Yorkshire Clinical Trials and Research Unit, Leeds, UK.
Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 1997;9(6):403-6. doi: 10.1016/s0936-6555(97)80138-0.
The randomized clinical trial is the ultimate method of establishing the value of any new cancer treatment, but the percentage of patients with cancer in the UK who are included in clinical trials of any sort is in single figures. The reasons for this low figure include both patient and clinician factors. The extra work involved in trials is cited repeatedly by clinicians as the main reason for not entering patients into cancer clinical trials. This paper discusses how the provision of local data management could be one important way to improve recruitment into and to ensure the smooth running of clinical trials.
