The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has necessitated changes in cancer care delivery as resources are reallocated. Clinical trials and other research activities are inevitably impacted. Start-up activities for new trials may be deferred and recruitment suspended. For patients already enrolled however, there are challenges in continuing treatment on trial. Regulatory bodies have issued guidance on managing clinical trials during the pandemic, including contingency measures for remote study visits, delivery of investigational product and site monitoring visits. New cancer clinical trial practices during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic include new risk assessment strategies, decentralized and remote trial co-ordination, data collection and delegation of specific therapeutic activities. This experience could provide evidence of more feasible and cost-effective methods for future clinical trial conduct.
Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. 2020 Apr 20 [Epub ahead of print]
Aaron C Tan, David M Ashley, Mustafa Khasraw
Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore., The Andrew Love Cancer Centre, Deakin University/Barwon Health., Duke University Medical Center, Duke University .