Is cancer clinical trial eligibility too restrictive?

As vice physician-in-chief at Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope National Medical Center and physician -in-chief at City of Hope Orange County in Irvine, Edward Kim, MD, oversees clinical strategy and research initiatives across the cancer center’s growing national footprint. City of Hope’s multi-state network spans across California, Arizona, Illinois and Georgia and is designed to bring research opportunities closer to patients.

Dr. Kim recently joined the “Becker’s Healthcare Podcast” to discuss expanding access to oncology clinical trials and how health systems can rethink traditional research models.

Here is an excerpt from the conversation:

Editor’s note: This response has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Question: What challenges do you see in expanding access to oncology clinical trials?

Dr. Edward Kim: We talk about access and opening trials in more places but the eligibility criteria remain very restrictive. Oncology clinical trials have about 28 to 30 eligibility criteria, on average. We are excluding patients unnecessarily. It’s ironic because it’s a scientific study, but often we’re not using science to determine who’s eligible. Yes, there are some criteria that are absolutely needed, but many of them don’t need to be there, and they prevent people from participating. We have to continue pushing for broader eligibility so more patients can have access.

Listen to the full conversation here.