NCI Cancer Bulletin: Statistical Strength in Numbers: International Clinical Trials for Rare Cancers

“International trials for rare cancers offer many advantages over separate trials done in different countries or regions,” explained Dr. Jack Welch of the Clinical Investigations Branch in NCI’s Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP). “By bringing patients together, international trials can accrue faster, and they offer lower collective administrative costs, shared infrastructure, centralized resources, and use of existing networks.”.....On December 10, NCI and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) convened a meeting of international stakeholders to explore ways to collaborate across borders on clinical trials for rare cancers. Nearly 100 representatives from 75 institutions participated in the day-long meeting, which was supported by CTEP, NIH’s Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR), NCI’s Office of Advocacy Relations (OAR), and ASCO. In addition to representatives from NIH, the FDA, the HHS Office for Human Research Protections, and NCI’s Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program, attendees included investigators from Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, and representatives of patient advocacy organizations and the pharmaceutical industry....cont'd