ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2013
Phase 1 clinical trials in end-stage cancer: patient understanding of trial premises and motives for participation.
Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 68 citations in OpenAlex.
- Qualitative studies on men with prostate cancer: a systematic meta-synthesis.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025Pooled it
- Interventions supporting cancer patients in making decisions regarding participation in clinical trials - a systematic review.BMC cancer · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Participant Perspectives in an HIV Cure-Related Trial Conducted Exclusively in Women in the United States: Results from AIDS Clinical Trials Group 5366.AIDS research and human retroviruses · 2020Trial
- Clinical Trials: Understanding Patient Perspectives and Beliefs About Treatment.Clinical journal of oncology nursing · 2019Trial
- Characteristics of Participants Enrolled onto a Randomized Controlled Trial of Palliative Care for Patients on Phase I Studies.Journal of palliative medicine · 2017Trial
- Endo-Bentall Repair for Inoperable Aortic Disease: Balancing Innovation and Ethical Responsibility.EJVES vascular forum · 2026Review
- Oncologists' knowledge, practices and ethical opinions about therapeutic misconception: a French national survey.BMC medical ethics · 2025Article
- Patient, Relative and Staff Experiences of Clinical Trial Participation in Neurooncology: "Maybe You Can Also Show the Positive, No Matter How It Ends".Cancer management and research · 2024Article
- Trusting relationships between patients with non-curative cancer and healthcare professionals create ethical obstacles for informed consent in clinical trials: a grounded theory study.BMC palliative care · 2023Article
- "If only I had", patients' experiences during early oncology trials.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Article
- Machine learning models for 180-day mortality prediction of patients with advanced cancer using patient-reported symptom data.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2023Article
- Perceived end-of-life educational needs by clinical trials nurses at a comprehensive cancer center.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2022Article
- Patients' experiences of the decision-making process for clinical trial participation.Nursing & health sciences · 2022Article
- Oncology patients' experiences in experimental medicine cancer trials: a qualitative study.BMJ open · 2021Article
- End-of-Life Characteristics Associated With Short Hospice Length of Stay for Patients With Solid Tumors Enrolled in Phase I Clinical Trials.Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN · 2021Article
- Using Patient-Reported Outcomes to Describe the Patient Experience on Phase I Clinical Trials.JNCI cancer spectrum · 2020Article
- Profiling trial burden and patients' attitudes to improve clinical research in epidermolysis bullosa.Orphanet journal of rare diseases · 2020Article
- Are cancer patients better off if they participate in clinical trials? A mixed methods study.BMC cancer · 2020Article
- Who Needs What? Perceptions of Patients and Caregivers in Oncology Phase 1 Trials.Journal of patient experience · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn cancer, phase 1 clinical trials on new drugs mostly involve patients with advanced disease that is unresponsive to standard therapy. The purpose of this study was to explore the difficult ethical problems related to patient information and motives for participation in such trials.
methodA descriptive and explorative qualitative design was used. Fourteen cancer patients from three different phase 1 trials in end-stage cancer were interviewed. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
resultsThe patients expressed unrealistic expectations of therapeutic benefit and inadequate understanding of the trials' purpose, so-called therapeutic misconception. However, they reported a positive attitude towards participation. Thus, the patients valued the close and unique medical and psychological attention they received by participating. Participation also made them feel unique and notable.
conclusionsPatients with end-stage cancer participating in phase 1 clinical trials are unaware of the very small potential for treatment benefit and the risk of harm. Trial participation may offer hope and social-emotional support and a strategy for coping with the emotional stress associated with advanced cancer and may, consequently, improve emotional well-being.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.