A personal perspective of patient-centred clinical trials

Their stories shed light on the benefits, challenges and opportunities to make clinical trials more patient-centred, especially as novel targeted and tumour agnostic therapies become more common.

The article reminds us that early phase trials are evolving rapidly. Once reserved for people with refractory or rare cancers, these studies are now moving earlier in treatment pathways due to advances in precision oncology and initiatives that accelerate access to biomarker matched therapies. Tumour agnostic approaches, although still limited in number, are creating new therapeutic opportunities and often yield higher response rates and meaningful clinical benefit.

For cancer nurses, the insights shared are highly relevant. Participants describe major benefits such as access to novel therapies, intensive support and close monitoring. They also reveal the barriers that can limit trial access including strict eligibility criteria, financial pressures and difficulties navigating complex information. Importantly, the authors highlight solutions that centre the patient experience, including trial navigators, improved communication, and more flexible enrolment pathways.

Key objective: To illustrate the first-hand journey of three early phase trial participants highlighting their benefits and challenges of participation and patient centric innovations required to improve trial experience.

Knowledge generated: Early phase trials have traditionally centred on dose finding and toxicity. However as they have increased in number and improved in therapeutic intent, the patient experience becomes increasingly important. This article illustrates benefits of participation including access to novel therapies, support and close monitoring but challenges around eligibility criteria, finances, and communication. Proposed solutions including trial navigators, enhanced communication training, and greater flexibility in enrolment criteria to improve trials access.