Stan Collender, a cancer patient, shares an interesting New York Times op ed piece on why so few cancer patients participate in clinical trials. Stan is a diagnosed with Merkel cell carcinoma (a rare skin cancer) and is enrolled in a clinical trial with, in his opinion, one of the best doctors in the carcinoma field. Collender passionately believes that more cancer patients should get involved in understanding their options for participating in a clinical trial. He brainstorms solutions to overcoming these barriers.
Recent studies have shown that the number of cancer patients who join clinical trials is less than 3% (stated by the Cancer Research Institute). The possible reasons for the small number is due to doctors’ lack of knowledge of options for clinical trials, as well as patients having the fear of clinical trials and desire to not be ‘lab rats’. Stan Collender is positive about his experience in the research process and openly shares his thoughts on his journey in the article entitled “Clinical Trials Need Cancer Patients.”
To find out more on Stan Collender’s perspective, continue reading here.