Cancer Clinical Research During the COVID-19 Pandemic

April 3 Webcast with ACCC President Randall A. Oyer, MD

Rockville, MD—The COVID-19 pandemic is casting its shadow on the clinical trials landscape. COVID-19 poses significant challenges for oncology clinical trials. These research studies are critical to improving cancer care, and for patients with advanced disease, clinical trials are often the standard of care. 

With our health system’s full-force focus on responding to the COVID-19 crisis, the operation of clinical trials is affected on multiple fronts—from patients hesitant or unable to continue treatment to competing demands for staff.  While guidance addressing how to deal with emerging issues has been issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institutes of Health, oncology stakeholder organizations including the Association of Community Cancer Centers are working to address emerging real-world operational challenges and information gaps. 

Today, on Friday, April 3, ACCC is presenting “Clinical Trials Amid COVID-19” with ACCC President Randall A. Oyer, MD, Medical Director, Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. This is the second in ACCC’s weekly COVID-19 webcast series.

Today’s webcast will cover:

• The current landscape of clinical trial administration
• The FDA’s Guidance on Conduct of Clinical Trials during COVID-19 pandemic
• The practicality of transferring patients to other sites with active trials
• Patient hesitancy to enroll in clinical trials 
• A possible shift in focus from prevention/registry trials to treatment trials
• How to deal with missing or delayed data

Upcoming webcasts will focus on need-to-know information and resources for cancer programs and multidisciplinary team members providing care, including: telehealth, PPE procurement, financial resources, and more.

Recorded webcasts will be available on-demand at accc-cancer.org/COVID-19. ACCC is also releasing weekly mini-podcasts on critical issues in cancer care during the coronavirus pandemic. On “COVID-19 Self-Care,” ACCC President-Elect Krista Nelson, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, BCD, shares self-care resources to support cancer team members and guides through a brief mindfulness exercise. Ms. Nelson is program manager of Quality & Research, Cancer Support Services & Compassion, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon. 

 ACCC members are connecting in real-time through our online member community—asking questions, sharing resources and experiences, and offering support for delivering quality cancer care during this unprecedented health crisis.

ACCC is listening to the needs of the oncology community and will continue to provide resources and support for the delivery of quality cancer care.  View ACCC’s coronavirus resources at accc-cancer.org/COVID-19 for up-to-date information.