Recruitment to cancer trials down 60% from pre-pandemic levels

A new report reveals that recruitment of cancer patients to clinical trials fell 60% in the first year of the pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic has exasperated existing barriers in clinical research including funding, regulation and access. Concerns are being raised about the knock-on effects of this drop in recruitment such as delays in development and obstructing access to cutting-edge cancer treatments. National Institute for Health Research (Leeds, UK) figures demonstrate that 27,734 patients were recruited in clinical trials for cancer in 2020/21 compared to a previous 3-year average of 67,057. This decline was consistent across almost all cancer types. This...