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The psychosocial responses of patients in cancer clinical trials: are they a barrier to participation?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 April 2022

Lucy Siew Chen Davies Open the ORCID record for Lucy Siew Chen Davies [Opens in a new window]  and
Heather Drury-Smith Open the ORCID record for Heather Drury-Smith [Opens in a new window]
Lucy Siew Chen Davies*
Affiliation:
Radiotherapy, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
Heather Drury-Smith
Affiliation:
Radiotherapy and Oncology, Allied Health Department, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Lucy Siew Chen Davies, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK. E-mail: l.davies33@nhs.net
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Abstract

Introduction:

This paper aims to discuss the psychosocial concomitants with involvement in oncology clinical trials, focusing on barriers that can impact upon participation. It will conclude with some recommendations for strategies to address potential psychosocial barriers with the aim of increasing trial participation rates.

Materials and methods:

A literature search was carried out using CINAHL, PubMed and EMCare databases with the following keywords for filtering: psychological distress, clinical trials, participation and oncology. The final selection of papers that met the inclusion criteria for this review was manually subjected to Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool for relevance.

Results:

Thirteen papers were included in the review. The dominant theme within the literature is psychosocial obstacles to oncology clinical trial participation. Five key barriers were identified: anxiety and fear; ethnicity and social background; tensions between scientific objectives and personal motivations to participation; tensions between personal benefits versus altruism; carer perspectives.

Conclusions:

The key barriers discussed led to the identification of a set of strategies to help mediate conflicting tensions and motivations of trial enrolment with a view to increasing participation rates. Further prospective research garnering primary data investigating both the psychological and psychosocial factors influencing cancer clinical trial participation for patients needs to be undertaken.

Keywords

cancer clinical trialscancer patient perspectivespsychosocial barriers to participation
Type
Literature Review
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 22 , 2023 , e44
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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