Enrolment in paediatric oncology early‐phase clinical trials: The health‐care professionals' perspective

Aim Approximately 20–30% of children/adolescents with cancer will not respond to standard therapies. These children are usually offered experimental treatment in the form of an early‐phase clinical trial. We examined the perspectives of health‐care professionals (HCPs) regarding obtaining informed consent for early‐phase trials in paediatric oncology. Methods We collected survey data from 87 HCPs working in paediatric cancer centres across Australia and New Zealand. Results HCPs were, on average, 44 years old (range = 25–74), with 15.8 years' experience in paediatric oncology (range = 1–40). Few HCPs (17.4%) received training for early‐phase trial consent; however, most were willing to attend training (77.9%). HCPs (61.6%) reported that they informed families about early‐phase trials without any attempt to influence their decision. However, 23.3% of HCPs reported that they informed families that their child would benefit. HCPs' main obstacle in obtaining consent was their perception of parents' eagerness to ‘try anything’ (52.3%). HCPs perceived that many parents misunderstood key clinical trials concepts, with 25.2% of HCPs believing that not being given clear information influenced parents' decisions. Physicians were more likely than social workers/nurses to inform families that other children will benefit from enrolment in the study. Social workers/nurses appeared to rate the chance of benefits for the patient higher than physicians. Conclusions HCPs may experience difficulty conducting early‐phase trial consultations and obtaining valid informed consent. Our study highlights the need for formal training for HCPs and additional patient education tools.