Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39994805›Full record

ArticleTrials2025

"It's a reasonable gamble"-rural residents' experience participating in cancer clinical trials at a single rural trial unit.

Narelle J McPhee, Diane Hughes, Eli Ristevski

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Trials, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

3 authors.

Narelle J McPheeBendigo Regional Cancer Centre, Bendigo Health, 100 Barnard Street, Bendigo, Bendigo, VIC, 3550, Australia. nmcphee@bendigohealth.org.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1797-0850
Diane HughesBendigo Regional Cancer Centre, Bendigo Health, 100 Barnard Street, Bendigo, Bendigo, VIC, 3550, Australia.
Eli RistevskiSchool of Rural Health, Monash University, Warragul, VIC, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe conducted a qualitative study to examine what factors influence rural-residing people with cancer to participate in cancer clinical trials (CCT) and what factors influence their retention in CCT.

methodsPurposive sampling was used to recruit participants from a regional cancer centre in Victoria, Australia, to participate in a semi-structured interview. Eligible participants were ≥ 18 years of age at the time of cancer diagnosis, newly consented to a clinical trial (< 1 year) or have been a trial participant for ≥ 1 year, lived in a non-metropolitan area classified within the Monash Modified (MM) Model 2-7 and able to provide informed consent. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data.

resultsSeventeen participants were interviewed; 10 identified as female and seven as male. Participant's ages ranged from 52 to 77 years, with a median age of 62 years. Eight participants had been on a CCT for ≤ 1 and 10 for ≥ 1 year. Factors that influenced their decision to participate in a CCT included trust and confidence in clinical trial staff, exposure to and trust in the experiences of cancer peers, altruism, low-risk trials and local access to trials. The factors influencing their decision to remain in a CCT included balancing the benefits and burdens of the trial, having no doubts about participating despite knowing the risks and seeing the personal benefits of participating in a CCT.

conclusionOur study shows that trust-based relationships, peer support, and altruism encourage rural residents to participate in CCT. To improve access to CCT for rural residents, a multi-faceted approach involving clinicians, health services, trial sponsors and policymakers is needed. These approaches must promote and facilitate the inclusion of diverse populations, prioritise CCT participation, and inform patients of CCT opportunities. We must recognise the knowledge and expertise of rural patients and caregivers and ensure they are involved as co-designers of future CCTs.

Indexed as

Clinical Trials as TopicNeoplasmsPatient ParticipationPatient SelectionResearch SubjectsRural Health ServicesRural PopulationAgedAltruismFemaleHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansInformed ConsentInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedAccessCancer clinical trialsEquityRural health

Identifiers

PMID39994805
PMCPMC11852551

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.