Clinical trial designs for rare diseases: studies developed and discussed by the International Rare Cancers Initiative.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The past three decades have seen rapid improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of most cancers and the most important contributor has been research. Progress in rare cancers has been slower, not least because of the challenges of undertaking research.

Settings

The International Rare Cancers Initiative (IRCI) is a partnership which aims to stimulate and facilitate the development of international clinical trials for patients with rare cancers. It is focused on interventional--usually randomized--clinical trials with the clear goal of improving outcomes for patients. The key challenges are organisational and methodological. A multi-disciplinary workshop to review the methods used in ICRI portfolio trials was held in Amsterdam in September 2013. Other as-yet unre

SUBMITTER: Bogaerts J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4639696 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature