Improving clinical trial recruitment: Experience of a tertiary renal oncology centre

摘要

Clinical trials are vital for bringing new therapies to patients. Since the establishment of the National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network in 2001, the UK has become the top recruiter of patients into oncology trials in the world [1]. In a report published last year, the recruitment rate in the UK was 18.3% of the country's total cancer incidence, compared to around 5% in the USA and mainland Europe [2]. This high figure could partly be related to the availability of drugs via the National Health Service. In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for approving drugs based on their effectiveness and cost. Treatments not approved by NICE can sometimes be obtained via a lengthy and uncertain special-funding request, or as part of a clinical trial.