Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38993093›Full record

ArticleCancer research and treatment2025

The Survival and Financial Benefit of Investigator-Initiated Trials Conducted by Korean Cancer Study Group.

Bum Jun Kim, Chi Hoon Maeng, Bhumsuk Keam, Young-Hyuck Im, Jungsil Ro, Kyung Hae Jung, Seock-Ah Im, Tae Won Kim, Jae Lyun Lee, Dae Seog Heo and 10 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer research and treatment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

20 authors.

Bum Jun KimDivision of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Korea.
Chi Hoon MaengDepartment of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Bhumsuk KeamDepartment of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Young-Hyuck ImDivision of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jungsil RoDivision of Internal Medicine, Center for Breast Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
Kyung Hae JungDepartment of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Seock-Ah ImDepartment of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Tae Won KimDepartment of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jae Lyun LeeDepartment of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Dae Seog HeoDepartment of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Sang-We KimDepartment of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Keunchil ParkDivision of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Myung-Ju AhnDivision of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Byoung Chul ChoDivision of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Hoon-Kyo KimDivision of Oncology, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Korea.
Yoon-Koo KangDepartment of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jae Yong ChoDepartment of Medical Oncology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Hwan Jung YunDepartment of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
Byung-Ho NamHERINGS, The Institute of Advanced Clinical & Biomedical Research, Seoul, Korea.
Dae Young ZangDivision of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Korea.

Funding

PROVIDE RABBITS, RATS MICE, HAMSTERS GERBILS, GUINEA PIGS27307C0012 · NIEHS · PI BOLEN, WAYNE · 2007 to 2007
$1.0M
Korean Cancer Study GroupMinistry of Health and Welfare HA22C0012National Cancer CenterNIEHS NIH HHS 27307C0012
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe Korean Cancer Study Group (KCSG) is a nationwide cancer clinical trial group dedicated to advancing investigator-initiated trials (IITs) by conducting and supporting clinical trials. This study aims to review IITs conducted by KCSG and quantitatively evaluate the survival and financial benefits of IITs for patients. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe reviewed IITs conducted by KCSG from 1998 to 2023, analyzing progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) gains for participants. PFS and OS benefits were calculated as the difference in median survival times between the intervention and control groups, multiplied by the number of patients in the intervention group. Financial benefits were assessed based on the cost of investigational products provided.

resultsFrom 1998 to 2023, KCSG conducted 310 IITs, with 133 completed and published. Of these, 21 were included in the survival analysis. The analysis revealed that 1,951 patients in the intervention groups gained a total of 2,558.4 months (213.2 years) of PFS and 2,501.6 months (208.5 years) of OS, with median gains of 1.31 months in PFS and 1.58 months in OS per patient. When analyzing only statistically significant results, PFS and OS gain per patients was 1.69 months and 3.02 months, respectively. Investigational drug cost analysis from six available IITs indicated that investigational products provided to 252 patients were valued at 10,400,077,294 won (approximately 8,046,481 US dollars), averaging about 41,270,148 won (approximately 31,930 US dollars) per patient.

conclusionOur findings, based on analysis of published research, suggest that IITs conducted by KCSG led to survival benefits for participants and, in some studies, may have provided financial benefits by providing investment drugs.

Indexed as

Clinical Trials as TopicNeoplasmsCost-Benefit AnalysisHumansRepublic of KoreaResearch PersonnelSurvival AnalysisCost analysisInvestigator-initiated trialsKorean Cancer Study GroupSurvival analysis

Identifiers

PMID38993093
PMCPMC11729315

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.