Clinical cancer trials are vital for scientific progress – but there are many unanswered questions for patients | Ranjana Srivastava

Australian regulators can do more to ensure measures such as age, ethnic diversity and quality of life are studied “Doctor, should my dad enter a clinical trial?”Nearing 80, my newly diagnosed cancer patient is like many people his age. He has a few health problems, none compromising his physical fitness, but the family has begun noticing some inattention and forgetfulness. He jokes that his “hearing issue” is that people drive him mad and he just wants to read quietly.The number and proportion of adult cancer patients enrolled in clinical trials is currently not known in Australia. As a result, an understanding of unwarranted variation in clinical trial participation between population groups is also not known. Continue reading...