Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35565375›Full record

ArticleCancers2022

The SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Cancer Trials Ireland: Impact, Resolution and Legacy.

Seamus O'Reilly, Verena Murphy, Eibhlin Mulroe, Lisa Tucker, Fiona Carragher, Jacinta Marron, Aoife M Shannon, Ken Rogan, Roisin M Connolly, Bryan T Hennessy and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Seamus O'ReillyCancer Trials Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-2887-7336
Verena MurphyCancer Trials Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland.
Eibhlin MulroeCancer Trials Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland.
Lisa TuckerCancer Trials Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland.
Fiona CarragherCancer Trials Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland.
Jacinta MarronCancer Trials Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland.
Aoife M ShannonCancer Trials Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland.
Ken RoganCancer Trials Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland.
Roisin M ConnollyDepartment of Medical Oncology, Cork University Hospital and Cancer Research @ UCC University College Cork, T12 DCA4 Cork, Ireland.
Bryan T HennessyCancer Trials Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland.
Ray S McDermottCancer Trials Ireland, D02 VN51 Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-8952-4315
Cancer Trials Ireland · IEUniversity College Cork · IE

Funding

Health Research Board Network Grant for Cancer Clinical TrialsIrish Cancer Society Grant to Support Cancer Clinical TrialsPat Smullen Fund Grant to support Cancer Trials Ireland
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCancer Trials Ireland (CTI) is the national cooperative group in Ireland. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to significant ongoing disruptive change in healthcare from March 2020 to the present day. Its impact and legacy on a national clinical trials organisation was assessed.

methodsA review was conducted of prospectively acquired communications, team logs and time sheets, trial activation, closure and accrual, for the period 2019 to September 2021. An online survey of the impact of the pandemic on clinical investigators and of clinical trials units was performed. A National Cancer Retreat was organised on 21 May 2021 to identify and address pandemic related disruption and develop adaptive strategies.

resultsIn the weeks after the pandemic was declared, remote working was initiated by all central office staff. Nationally, clinical trial accrual fell by 54% compared to the same period in 2019, radiotherapy trial accrual by 90%, and translational studies by 36%. Staff reassignment of research nurse staff occurred in 60% of units, trial monitoring was reduced in 42%, and trial initiations fell by 67%. Extreme fluctuations in monitoring hours were noted paralleling lockdown measures. Significant impact on all clinical trials units was noted including staff reassignments, reduced access to diagnostic imaging and reduced institutional supports. Remote clinic visits and remote monitoring was widely adopted. The National Cancer Retreat identified flexibility in trial conduct, staff recruitment and retention, the need for harmonisation of processes, and research staff support in the context of remote working as priorities.

conclusionThe pandemic has had a significant ongoing negative impact on cancer clinical trial activity in Ireland. Adaptive strategies including trial flexibility, expanded telehealth and remote monitoring, harmonisation of processes and staff support have been identified as priorities to ameliorate this impact, and develop a more sustainable clinical trial ecosystem.

Indexed as

clinical trialsCOVID-19transformative change

Identifiers

PMID35565375
PMCPMC9101172
OpenAlexW4225122332

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.