American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Our new position statement outlines ways to expand eligibility, increase funding and expand community access for pediatric oncology clinical trials.
To advance access, we are recommending pediatric oncology clinical trials:
- Expand eligibility: Regulatory bodies and trial sponsors transition from age-based to biology-based enrollment. This includes the routine inclusion of patients aged 12 and older in adult oncology trials when biologically appropriate.
- Increase federal funding support: Dedicated federal funding is essential to sustain national trial networks and accelerate drug development for the more than 200 distinct pediatric cancer types. Current appropriations remain insufficient to support the scale of infrastructure required to close the research gap.
- Expand community access: Access to pediatric clinical trials should expand beyond academic pediatric centers and into community sites where many AYAs receive care. Policies must prioritize travel and lodging assistance for families and foster shared referral partnerships between local providers and specialized research hubs.
More posts about ASCO.