Taking on clinical trial challenges
Jeffrey Clark, M.D.
Giving more people the option of participating in clinical trials continues to be a challenge, according to Jeffrey Clark, M.D., the Massachusetts General Hospital oncologist who serves as the director of Clinical Trials Support for DF/HCC.
Within DF/HCC organizations, Clark has led efforts to make clinical trial information, as well as registration and consent forms, available to all researchers online. One of the driving forces behind creating the center was to increase awareness among researchers and clinicians about DF/HCC's clinical trials, leading to greater numbers of patients enrolled across institutions, says Clark. Shared services and infrastructure, a more efficient and speedy trial-approval process, and continued training for physicians, nurses, and others are priorities for Clark and the research administration staff.
To continue to improve the patient-consent process, DF/HCC has embraced a consent form template created by the National Cancer Institute. "It used to be that patients would do whatever their doctor recommended," says Clark. "In the past decade, people have gained a much better understanding about diseases and clinical trials. They ask more questions and are better able to weigh information. We help researchers and their staffs make the consent process a give-and-take situation."
"Clinical trials are essential for making progress against cancer. There is no other way to find the answers."
— Jeffrey Clark, M.D.
On the national front, studies published recently in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found the costs of caring for patients enrolled in clinical trials are not substantially greater than for those receiving standard care. This information could help support the struggle of some patients whose insurance companies don't cover the cost of care provided through clinical trials.
Dana-Farber advocates legislation requiring insurance companies to provide coverage for approved trials, and the Institute's leaders applauded the recent White House announcement that Medicare will now pay the cost of routine patient care associated with participation in clinical studies.
"All of these activities are helping integrate clinical trials into clinical practice," says Clark. "Clinical trials are essential for making progress against cancer. There is no other way to find the answers."
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