More than half of head and neck cancer clinical trials ended due to either sponsor-driven strategic decisions or poor recruitment, according to a study published Jan. 2 in JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery.
Researchers from Miami-based Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center analyzed data from 692 head and neck cancer clinical trials — 346 failed and 346 completed — conducted between Jan. 1, 2000, and Dec. 31, 2024, for the study.
Here are three notes on their findings:
- Of the 346 failed trials, 29.5% ended because of nonscientific, sponsor-driven strategic decisions and 26% ended because of poor recruitment.
- Sponsor strategy decisions were the predominant reasons for failure in phase 1 trials, those with industry sponsors and trials focused on immunotherapy and other targeted therapies.
Poor recruitment was more common in later-phase trials, non-industry-sponsored trials and among trials focused on chemotherapy, radiation, chemoradiation, combination treatments and supportive care.
- “Solutions such as decentralized trials, adaptive protocols and nurse-led navigation could help overcome [trial completion] barriers,” according to a Jan. 13 news release from the cancer center.
Read the full study here.
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